Where the Heart is
by BosBaBe
Summary: Ashes to ashes, she saw him pass away, their hands reaching for one another. But in her heart she knew Ulquiorra would come back to claim what rightfully belonged to him. What happens when fate brings these two divine forces together again? UlquiHime :D
1. Prologue

**Hey all you awesome UlquiHime fans! This is my first UlquiHime fan fic, and I sincerely hope you all love it! This story takes place after the dreaded Ash Chapter! Enjoy reading it! :D**

**And for all the Death Note, Hellsing and Artemis Fowl readers who have been following my stories, I am still writing your stories! I have just decided to post this now instead of later for in case the idea runs away from me and I'm left with nothing! I shall update your stories soon! I love all of you way too much to just abandon you (sniffs and gets all gushy)! I you guys are awesome for putting up with me and giving me all that support!**

**Anyways, back to the story! Enjoy!**

**Listen to the song Crashed by Daughtry. This chapter was made from this song! :) It's an excellent song!**

**Prologue**

_"Well life was moving at the speed of sound.__  
__Head-spinning, couldn't find my way around, and__  
__Didn't know that I was going down.__  
__Yeah, yeah.__  
__Where I've been, well it's all a blur.__  
__What I was looking for, I'm not sure.__  
__Too late and didn't see it coming.__  
__Yeah, yeah._

_And then I crashed into you,__  
__And I went up in flames.__  
__Could've been the death of me,__  
__But then you breathed your breath in me.__  
__And I crashed into you,__  
__Like a runaway train.__  
__You will consume me,__  
__But I can't walk away."_

The skies reigned dark overhead, grey, lifeless clouds hanging still in the dead black sky. The reversed silver moon was hidden by coal black clouds, and the air swirled with dark reitsu, a stale breeze blowing over the gigantic ivory dome of Las Noches. Booms and crashes echoed through the air in the distance, battles taking place far off on the other side of the Hollow Palace.  
Unfortunately, those battles were nothing compared to what had taken place just moments before.

Orihime Inoue shivered violently, staring with wide eyes at the scene in front of her. A scream of horror and fear clawed at her throat, and her soul screamed at her to run, begging for her to run as far away from here as possible. But she shook it off, her dark grey eyes fixed on the two men that had become her world, and neither of them in a good way.

The demonic form of Ulquiorra Schiffer hovered before her, his body broken and battered, one wing, arm and leg gone, all that remained of his left leg being nothing more than a thin twig-like muscle stretching down to a battered, skinny taloned claw. His blank green and gold eyes stared down his former opponent, glaring at him, ignoring the wounds and blood covering his porcelain white skin. Blood leaked from his wounds, matting in the waves of black fur below his waist, dripping to the cold stone roof top below him. He staggered on the spot slightly, all his strength gone, his body regenerating slowly. But it was useless. His lower body had been blown away, his vital organs burnt to ashes, and they wouldn't come back. He was nothing more than an empty shell.  
The sight made Orihime want to scream.

The one who had done this to her ward, the Vizard Ichigo Kurosaki and her crush, stood a little away from her, his upper body bare, sweat dripping from him as he shivered slightly, staring around him in disbelief. His eyes were wide with shock and horror as he stared at his arch enemy, not able to believe what he had just done.

"Ulquiorra..."

The Hollow ignored him, using Sonido to flash himself over to the broken form of Uryu, the Quincy clutching Ichigo's slim black Zanpakutou, the blade buried deep in his stomach. Blood pooled around the young man, staining his white Quincy robes, his body shaking as the strength slowly left his body.

Ulquiorra silently stared down at the young man he had saved, before taking Ichigo's sword and pulling it from him, tearing it free of Uryu's flesh, the teenager letting out a cry of pain. Ulquiorra ignored him, turning back to Ichigo and throwing the sword at him, allowing the razor sharp tip to bury itself in the ground at Ichigo's feet.

The orange haired teenager looked down at his sword, his eyes narrowing slightly before looking back up at the raven haired Arrancar, not liking where this was going.

"Take it. Let's finish this," Ulquiorra ordered coldly, wanting nothing more than to fight despite his utterly broken body. He wasn't going to give up, not now, not when there was so much at stake.

"Was I the one who stabbed Uryu?" Ichigo asked his eyes filled with pain and regret, ignoring the Hollow's wish to fight.

Ulquiorra stared at him, before looking away, trying to hide the pain of remembering, "It doesn't matter..." he whispered, lifting his remaining arm and forming a growing green Lanza in his hand, preparing for a fight which would never come.

"Did I cut off your arm and leg too?" Ichigo asked, knowing the answer to that already, shock and self-disgust burning in his eyes, his voice trembling. Ulquiorra simply stared at him, his eyes telling the boy more than words ever could.

It was too much for Ichigo to bear.

"Then cut off mine!" the young man shouted, desperation tainting his voice. Orihime's eyes widened, and she cried out Ichigo's name, warning him, not wanting to see anyone else get hurt.

At this Ulquiorra's eyes widened, and he made a noise of shock in his throat, crushing his Lanza and turning to stare at Ichigo, not believing what he was hearing.

"I was unconscious when I fought with you in that Hollow form! That wasn't me! It wouldn't be a fair fight unless I'm in the same state as you!" the teenager continued to shout, digging his own grave, ignoring the panic he was starting around him. He knew Ulquiorra wouldn't turn down his request, and Ichigo wanted nothing more than to even the score between them, paying for Ulquiorra's wounds with his own blood.

Uryu sat up, ignoring his pain, knowing that Ichigo was asking for a death wish, "Stop it, Ichigo! Do you realize what you're saying! Ichigo!"

Ichigo ignored him, his eyes narrowed, waiting for Ulquiorra to move. The Hollow could only stare at him, before moving into a fighting stance, spreading his remaining wing as he prepared to lunge at Ichigo, "Very well. I shall comply if that is your wish."

But before the words could even finish leaving his mouth, as his wing stretched out fully, it began to tear, a ripping sound piercing the air as his entire wing dissolved into ash, floating away on the breeze.

Ulquiorra's green and gold eyes widened in shock, a noise of pain and horror escaping him. Ichigo and the others stared at him in awe and disbelief, watching as his body began to fall apart.  
The green eyed young man looked back at his wing, staring at it before commenting on it, his voice filled with regret, "I'm that far gone?"

Ichigo continued to stare at him, fear gripping his heart. Ulquiorra was dying, right in front of him, and he knew why. This was all his doing. He'd given Ulquiorra his death certificate. Ichigo's legs felt weak with shock, and it took all his strength to stop himself from collapsing to the ground.

"Kill me... Hurry up. I don't have the strength left to walk... If you don't kill me now, it will never be over," Ulquiorra murmured, the sound escaping his lips sounding dark and empty. His words were devoid of exhaustion, his nature refusing to let himself show weakness despite his slowly dying body.

Orihime felt her heart give a terrified jump, and she shook her head, not wanting to believe what he had just said. This couldn't be happening, this was sick and wrong! How could Ulquiorra, her ward, her guardian, her keeper, be begging for death? No! It wasn't fair!

"...no!" Ichigo replied, his voice trembling. Ulquiorra's eyes widened at his words before narrowing, his black pupils slitted like that of a devils.

"...What was that?"

"I won't do it...this...this isn't the way I wanted to win!" Ichigo shouted, beginning to sob brokenly, his shoulders slumping in defeat, knowing that he had just sentenced Ulquiorra to death.

The Arrancar stared at him, his wide green and gold eyes suddenly fading back to their original emerald shade. He looked away from Ichigo, closing his eyes, a strong wave of sadness washing over him, making him hang his head in defeat.

"You never did as I anticipated...right up to the very end," Ulquiorra whispered softly, just loud enough for them to hear. Orihime stepped forwards at his words, and he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes softening at the sight of her.

"Right as I was finally growing interested in you people," he murmured, looking into her eyes, her image reflecting off of his startling green eyes.

His eyes locked with her wet grey ones, and he felt his hollow hole burn painfully. He found himself wanting nothing more than to stop those tears, to never have her cry again. The feelings washing over him were foreign and terrifying, and he had no idea where they could possibly come from. In all his existence, he had never felt so attached and drawn to anything like he was now. He couldn't explain the anger that boiled in his stomach, the pain and longing that stabbed his chest when he looked into those emotion filled eyes. Since he had first seen them he had wanted to have them, to learn more about these humanoid things known as emotions. He had watched fear, happiness, tenderness, anger and passion flare in those grey eyes, and after a short while, he had begun to find himself drawn to them, his very being unconsciously reaching out to them in an attempt to quench the undying hunger burning inside him.

This girl, no, this _woman_, was the most confusing and infuriating thing he had ever meet in his life, even over shadowing Grimmjow. Not because she was loving, not because she wore her heart on her sleeve, not because she was foolish, not because she was naive, not because she was infatuated with idiotic trash, and not because she was mind-numbingly beautiful. No, it was much deeper than that.

It was because she was always so far away, so horrifyingly untouchable. How could someone literally dripping with emotion be so god-damn hard to read and understand?

And, because of this, Ulquiorra wanted her. _Needed_ her. He'd fight against countless armies, he'd consume a thousand souls, he'd die a hundred times over, just too finally own and understand the woman he had chosen to take on all that time ago.

And now, he was about to lose her.

He found himself shying away from this thought, ignoring the nothingness that began to consume him. It couldn't end like this, not now, not when he had finally come to realize the very purpose of this divine creature. It wasn't meant to happen like this.

But, at least he had a chance. Not now, but one day far off in the future. And he was willing to wait till then.

Slowly, Ulquiorra reached out his now porcelain white hand, the fur and claws disintegrating and turning to ash, leaving his nails ebony black, his skin as white as snow. He reached out slowly, tentatively, allowing his fingers to spread as he reached for her.

"Do I scare you, woman?" he asked softly, fearful of what her answer would be. But no matter what her answer, he had to know. It would break him if she said yes, but it was a risk he was willing to take. He needed to reach her; somehow, before he faded away.

The sunset haired woman stared at him in mild shock, her hand held at her chest, watching him with slight awe as he reached out to her so desperately, so openly. After a few seconds her eyes softened and began to fill with more burning tears, her chest searing painfully as she answered him.

"I'm not afraid...I'm not afraid of you," she murmured, her voice shivering with tears and sadness, her throat clenching painfully.

At her words Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly in shock, before visibly softening, making Orihime want to cry all the more.

His eyes were filled with tenderness and longing.

"I see," he whispered, before his hand began to fall back, drifting further out of Orihime's reach as the last bit of strength he had left his body.

Orihime's eyes widened at this, and without hesitation she reached out to him as well, her creamy fingers reaching out to his alabaster ones. She stretched her long fingers desperately, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched him slowly fall apart.

Orihime's fingers closed on his hand, grabbing at it hurriedly. But his once solid hand broke in her grasp, the hand exploding into a cloud of pearly ash.

As what was left of his body fell away, a final, sad thought whispered through his mind, warming him from the inside out, making his eyes burn painfully with tears he had never been able to shed.

_Now I see...my heart...my heart is in my hand..._

Their eyes remained glued to one another's, and Orihime watched in horror as Ulquiorra burst, his entire body turning to ash, the small, white and grey particles blowing away on the sudden breeze, most of it fanning out over the endless desert.

Orihime stared in shock and disbelief, her eyes wide. She could feel small pieces of ash in her clenched fist, her fingers clutching all that was left of the once powerful Ulquiorra Schiffer, the man who had been her tormentor and protector for so long.

She remained frozen in place, her eyes wide and shivering behind her thick eyelashes. The wind tugged and ruffled her sunset auburn hair, the wind blowing sand and ash into the thick, flowing locks. The bright orange stood out like a flag in the world around her, a singular ray of love and hope that stood out in a universe that shied away from anything to do with happiness and life.  
And in her hand, she held on to the remains of a man who had shied away from a heart not because it disgusted him, but because it confused and hurt him. He had never known love or happiness, never known how it felt to feel and be felt. He had never had the chance to feel emotions, to fall in love, to come out from behind the steel wall he erected around himself to keep out the things that had hurt him the most.

And now he never would.

With this thought, Orihime began to shake, tears brimming over and spilling down her cheeks. Sobs escaped her rosy lips, and she began to cry, folding in on herself as she fell to the floor. She cupped her hands and looked down at the little pile of broken ash, her tears falling and turning the pile to coal black slush. She pressed her hands against her chest, pressing the ash to the place where her heart was, as if she could give Ulquiorra the heart he had always deserved. She pressed the remains to her chest; begging for him to feel her loud, frantic heart beat that was strong and loud enough for two to share.

But he was gone. He couldn't feel it, nor could he feel anything else.

With this, fresh sobs escaped her, and she cried all the harder, rocking backwards and forwards. The thought stung her too no end, burning into her mind and making her heart scream in pain. The idea of him not being there felt sick and wrong in her mind, like some twisted abomination that she desperately wanted to push away. He didn't deserve this, it wasn't right! He had never deserved to die like this!

Ulquiorra had always been there, a solid white poll that never drifted away. In all her time at Las Noches, Ulquiorra had been there, watching over her like some twisted joke of a guardian angel. He had never raised his hand to her, never once screamed at her or hurt her. He had threatened her, he had degraded her, but that had never mattered. Because, out of everyone who she had ever met, including her precious 'Ichigo', no one had ever taken her seriously like Ulquiorra had. No one had ever seen the full extent of her power besides him. He had treated her harshly, but, never once, had he treated her like some weak child. He had seen how strong and brave she was, he had seen her strength and potential.

Out of all her friends, he was the only one who had treated her like she meant something, like she _belonged_.

And now she would never feel that way again.

Orihime looked up into the cloud covered sky, and, with a loud, shaky breath, she screamed, her voice rising as she became more and more hysterical.

Ichigo ran forwards, reaching out a hand to her but stopping half way, too afraid to touch her. Uryu tried to get up and come to her aid as well, but he had lost too much blood. All he could do was watch as Orihime fell apart, sobbing and screaming brokenly as she mourned the former Forth Espada.

"Orihime I...I'm sorry! I didn't...I..." Ichigo tried, preparing to touch her shoulder weakly. But Orihime ignored him, lost in her grief, the sound of his voice making it even worse. Without warning she arched her back, staring up into the murky black sky with wild, red rimmed eyes.

"Don't leave me!" Orihime screamed as loud as her lungs would allow, screaming up to the empty sky. Her voice echoed across the desert, and the little Hollow lizards and animals looked up at the sky, not even comprehending the pain and sorrow that flowed around them. Soon the loud, never ending scream died down, and Orihime collapsed in a heap on top of what remained of the dome, falling on the ash covered floor where Ulquiorra had once stood and reached out to her.

_Please don't leave me...Ulquiorra..._ Orihime thought desperately, as the warm, inky blackness of unconsciousness washed over her, tugging her down into a word filled with darkness and brief flashes of purest emerald green.

_"Somehow, I couldn't stop myself.__  
__I just wanted to know how it felt.__  
__Too strong, I couldn't hold on.__  
__Yeah, yeah.__  
__Now I'm just tryin' to make some sense__  
__Out of how and why this happened.__  
__Where we're heading, there's just no knowing.__  
__Yeah, yeah._

_And then I crashed into you,__  
__And I went up in flames.__  
__Could've been the death of me,__  
__But then you breathed your breath in me.__  
__And I crashed into you,__  
__Like a runaway train.__  
__You will consume me,__  
__But I can't walk away._

_From your face, your eyes__  
__Are burning to me.__  
__You saved me, you gave me__  
__Just what I need.__  
__Oh, just what I need._

_And then I crashed into you,__  
__And I went up in flames.__  
__Could've been the death of me,__  
__But then you breathed your breath in me.__  
__And I crashed into you,__  
__Like a runaway train.__  
__You will consume me,__  
__But I can't walk away._

_And then I crashed into you,__  
__And then I crashed into you,__  
__And then I crashed into you,__  
__And then I crashed into you,__  
__And I crashed into you,__  
__Like a runaway train.__  
__You will consume me,_

_But I can't walk away._

Daughtry - Crashed

* * *

**First ever Ulquiorra x Orihime chapter! Wow, I am so hyper know (even though it's almost midnight!)!**

**And this isn't the end folks! Ulquiorra isn't gone (just like I know he isn't in the actual show! He will be back people, and you all know it!)! And no, they don't love each other YET! Just keep reading, and you will find the answers! ;P**

**I sincerely hope you all liked this! I've noticed that a lot of the UlquiHime stories aren't being updated, so I wanted to give you all something nice and fresh! And I'll try to update as fast as possible! :D**

**Please remember to review! Reviews make people happy, and when I'm happy, I update faster! :D So don't be shy people! Press that awesome button on the bottom of the page and REVIEW! :)**

**I have a deviantart profile, so if any of you would like to look at my Ulquiorra art, come check it out! Just type in BosBaBe in the Deviantart search box, and you cna find my art and check out my profile! Hope you guys can find it! ;P**

**Bye bye for now!**


	2. 1 Open Wounds

Open Wounds

"_I'm so tired of being here__  
__Suppressed by all my childish fears__  
__And if you have to leave__  
__I wish that you would just leave__  
__'Cause your presence still lingers here__  
__And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal__  
__This pain is just too real__  
__There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears__  
__When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears__  
__And I held your hand through all of these years__  
__But you still have__  
__All of me"_

The summer sun shone down from the skies, warming the city of Karakura town. Birds sang happily to one another, and people bustled about, talking hurriedly to one another or into their cell phones. A few impatient motorists leaned on their horns, the heat of their cars making them quickly irritable. But this didn't seem to faze the public too much as they continued on with their daily lives.

But the students of Karakura high school were by far the most excited. School was just about to close for the Summer Holidays, and the students chattered happily to one another, listening to their young teacher as she made good-hearted jokes and teased the students for their supposed poor grades. She was walking along the aisles, handing out report cards left and right, either clubbing the unfortunate student over the head or showing them a thumbs up for their good effort.

But one student wasn't chattering away with the others.

Orihime Inoue stared out the classroom window to her left, her grey eyes glazed over in thought. One hand was laced into her hair, her head resting on her hand as she stared out at the afternoon skies. Her lips were parted slightly, and she hummed softly to herself, singing some incoherent tune from a long time ago.

Orihime's eyes drifted to the right, away from the window, and she stared at the back of a teenager's head, her eyes frozen on the spiky mass of strawberry blond hair. Her grey eyes stared at the back of his head, images and memories playing out behind her eyes.

She saw him lying on the ground, his body scarred and cut beyond recognition, a gaping hole in his chest were his heart should have been. She saw him suspended in the air, his eyes clouded over in despair as he was slowly strangled by a long, furry black tail. But at the sight of the tail her memories shifted, and for a instant, she saw Ichigo towering over a solitary black figure, the demonic creature's eyes as wide as saucers as it watched it's opponent prepare to impale it with a roaring Cero.

She knew exactly who that demonic figure was.

Idly, while she shifted through her twisted memories, Orihime picked up her pencil. She chewed on it momentarily, her eyes rolling to the ceiling briefly before letting them drop to the page. Sticking her pink tongue out childishly, she began to draw in her text book, her eyes narrowing in concentration. Despite the fact that she couldn't actually see what she was doing, her hand moved effortlessly across the page, her mind's eye and memories allowing her to draw without actually paying attention.

Up a head, Ichigo let out a cry of shock as his teacher hit him over the head hard with his report. He stared up at her in disbelief, shouting at her in angered astonishment.

"What did you do that for! Believe it or not, I actually studied for the exams! Why did you go and hit me with the damn report card!"

"Well, seeing as you studied, that must be a sign! You're not cut out for this line of work! But, I shouldn't be so hard on you. At least you did better than Mr. Asano...but don't feel so proud of yourself. A blind Chimpanzee could do better than Keigo," she laughed, tossing a report card at Keigo's head. The loud student barely managed to catch it, and he waved at them, throwing Ichigo a thumbs up with a cheerful grin.

The teacher scowled, "Next time you answer a question with the answer, "Because God made it that way," Mr. Asano, I'll make you wish God had had mercy on you and spited your butt before you were even conceived!"

Keigo fell backwards, laughing uncontrollably. But as he fell back he hit his head on the desk behind him, and he collapsed, a sizable lump forming on his head. His eyes glazed over, and his body began to twitch, drool dribbling down his chin as he shivered on the floor.

The young woman stared at him for a while before turning back to Ichigo, adding slyly, "You should count yourself lucky. Not a lot of people receive the blessing of an overly stupid classmate. You should count your blessings, Ichigo!"

"Well, ain't I glad you have a sense of humour?" Ichigo quipped, grinning up at the woman. She merely smiled at him before turning to Rukia, her eyes lighting up with unbridled joy.

"My dear, thank you so much for being one of the few angels in this class who actually took my exam seriously! My heart literally swelled up with joy as I marked your answer sheet! It's students like you who stop us from committing suicide!" she sang happily, twirling joyously as she dropped Rukia's report card onto her desk.

Rukia smiled sweetly, putting on her goodie-two-shoes-school girl-act. She blushed humbly, fluttering her eyelashes as she fiddled shyly with her report, "Oh Ma'am, there's no need to say things like that! I always try my best to make others proud! I'm so glad you're happy!"

Ichigo let out a roar of anger, staring at his companion with wide, fiery eyes as he clawed viciously at his desk. He pointed a quivering finger at her, spit flying through the air as he shouted shrilly at her.

"You lying little Midget! You barely opened a text book! How the hell did you get a gold star! Don't put on that innocent act! You're lying through your teeth!"

Rukia sniffed, tears brimming in her eyes, "I'm so sorry for his outburst, Ma'am! N-Nothing I ever do is good enough for him! I-I try so hard!" she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. But, unseen to the teacher, when Ichigo was hit soundly over the head with the Oxford Dictionary, a smirk grew across her lips, her eyes flashing in victory.

Ichigo spotted this as he rubbed his aching skull, and he let out a cry of anger.

"See, the little Devil's _laughing_ at me! Can't you see it! That little witch set me up! You have to believe me!"

The teacher shook her head at him, her eyes closed sympathetically. She buried a hand in her pocket, taking out a little box as she smiled down at him.

"Oh Ichigo, there's no need to put on such a performance for me! If you wanted a gold star so badly, I think I can make an exception! You deserve it!"

With an elegant, flashy flourish of her hand, she stabbed Ichigo's forehead with her thumb, pressing down on it harshly. Ichigo stared up in horror as she pulled her thumb away, leaving behind a big, yellow star on his forehead, the star smiling at everyone with big, golden cheeks.

Ichigo coughed and spluttered, utterly lost for words, his cheeks turning cherry red. Rukia grinned at him, giggling sly behind her hand as she added this victory to her collection.

"You little pest!" Ichigo hissed at her, glaring daggers at her. But she turned away, flipping happily through her report card.

Orihime remained oblivious to this, her pencil racing across the page as she drew frantically. Her eyes became dark and shadowed, all light disappearing from them as she drew. A single figure stood out in her mind, staring down at her, his shadow falling over her like a dark disease. She felt her heart rate quicken as her eyes wondered up his furred body, her breath slowing to a stop as her eyes finally fell across his face.

Her pencil stopped, and Orihime hissed in a shaky breath, her hand slamming her text book shut. She shook herself and looked up, and a loud squeal escaped her as she came face to face with her beaming teacher.

"Oh Orihime, my darling star! Once again, you have exceeded my expectations! Your marks are like gifts showered down from heaven, tied to the feet of snowy doves! I feel like bursting into poetry! You and Ishida are just like perfect angels! I'm so proud!"

Orihime scratched the back of her head, giggling modestly as she closed her eyes shyly, "Oh, it was nothing, really! To be honest I don't really try that hard!"

"Well, whatever it is, you're a God send! Whoever marries you is a very lucky man, Inoue!"

Inoue smiled sheepishly, blushing as the teacher ruffled her hair. The woman bustled off to hand out the rest of the report cards, shouting and praising the sunset haired young woman, commending her and ordering the class to follow her and Ishida's examples.

Orihime stared after her teacher, before sighing, lacing her hand into her hair as she stuffed her report card into her bag without even looking at it. With her free hand she opened the page from before, her eyes falling on it sadly.

The page was covered from top to bottom in dark, blank eyes, the eyes covering up every little bit of space there was. Each one was shaded in and darkened, and the pupils were slim and slitted, making the eyes look almost reptilian.

Ever since Ulquiorra had died a year ago, Orihime had drawn his eye every day, her body going into a almost epileptic fit as her horrible, traumatic past came back to haunt her. The memories of him never left her, and everyday she'd come to the verge of tears, remembering the soul who had died and left her behind. Every time she drifted off into thought, she would see him behind her eyes, his body pale and furred, his black wings spread as he stared down at her, his eyes aglow with a predatory light. During the times she felt the most alone, the most afraid, she'd close her eyes, and imagine him standing before her, dressed in his white hikama, his infamous half helmet covering the left side of his head. She would see his black lips move but not hear is voice, and every time she reached out to him, tried to touch him, the memories would drift away, leaving her utterly alone. Sometimes she even lay wide awake at night, staring up at her ceiling, trying desperately to catch and lock away the memories that she knew would one day fade away.

Orihime could not bear to see them disappear the same way he had. Her memories were all she had, and the loss of them would surely tear her very soul apart.

Orihime looked to the side, watching her friends as they laughed and smiled. Tatsuki, her closest friend and self-proclaimed guardian turned to smile at her, her dark eyes alight with happiness. The sunset haired young woman smiled back, adding a layer of sweetness to it to hide her inner turmoil.

She had never even dared to tell her friends how she felt. Of course, they had seen her fits and depressive moments countless times, but every time they asked she would answer them cryptically, always allowing them to make their own assumptions. Of course, they would never come to the conclusion that she was mourning over the Cuatro Espada, so they came to the conclusion that she was being haunted by her past, and that the Arrancar must have tortured her in some form way deeper than with whips or swords.

In a way, they couldn't be more _wrong_, and yet, they couldn't be more _right _either.

So she had never told her friends the truth, deciding to rather keep the truth bottled up inside, along with all her other emotions and fears. She knew it was wrong and unhealthy for her state of mind, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them. She could only imagine what would happen. Ichigo would rather become consumed by his inner Hollow than hear her admit to her feelings for the fourth Espada. Hell, maybe he _would _be consumed by his Hollow when she told him. He'd be caught up in his own shock and anger, and eventually, it would run away with him. And of all the things she had ever seen before, Ichigo in his Hollow form was the scariest of them all, even scarier than Ulquiorra's Final Form.

This was one of Orihime's open wounds. She hated herself for what she did to Ichigo. If only she had not called out to him, if only she had been stronger! It was her fault he became a monster, her fault he turned into a Hollow and attacked Ulquiorra. It was her fault he had attacked and hurt Uryu, stabbing his own friend without a second thought.

And, ultimately, it was her fault Ulquiorra was defeated. If she had been stronger, if she had stood on her own two feet, Ulquiorra wouldn't have died on his own. It didn't matter that Ichigo would have died. She knew now that Ichigo wouldn't have died, she could have healed him, or at the least, healed himself. But her emotions had gotten in the way, and because of it, Ulquiorra had paid the ultimate price for her stupidity.

And too top it off, Orihime couldn't deny that a part of her, no matter how dark and hidden away it was, had wanted Ulquiorra to win. Yes, she didn't want him to kill Ichigo, but she had wanted him to _defeat _the substitute Soul Reaper. She had cared for him and wanted it enough to hesitate all those times before finally tearing herself apart and erecting her shields before Ulquiorra could land the final blow. She couldn't deny that when Ulquiorra had turned to her, the look on his face had made her feel more guilt than ever before.

_Guilt_...why guilt, of all things? _Why_? He wasn't her friend; he was her ward, her tormentor. He had _kidnapped_ her! How could one thing, no, one _man, _make her feel a sense of loyalty towards a group of people who wanted nothing more than to crucify her friends on the palace walls? What made her want to protect him, to help him, to hold him and beg him for forgiveness for something she had every right to do? She should have jumped at the chance to save her friend, no; she should have _leaped _at the chance to kill Ulquiorra, to trap him in a barrier strong enough for Ichigo to land the final blow. But she had not. On the contrary, she hadn't even thought of doing anything of the sought. She had felt so torn between the two men that she had wanted to scream and tear her hair out, to scream at them and beg them to stop. More than once in the entire battle she had been forced to stop herself from running in between the two of them and using her own shields to pin them apart. She had come close to cracking, but, before she could even do a thing, she had been pulled away from the battle by the ever hateful Menoly and Loly.

But still, the question stood, why had she not saved Ichigo sooner? Why had she held back so drastically?

At the time, when she had not answered Ulquiorra's question, it had seemed that Ulquiorra knew the answer. He had even tried to tell her, but Ichigo had cut him off so quickly that he had been unable to finish. As if Ichigo was afraid of what he might hear.

And Ichigo had every right to be afraid. He would never even think of admitting it, but he was afraid of the relationship that connected the two of opposites. He could feel the implication in the air; feel the heaviness and tension building. The red head could even see it on the tip of Ulquiorra's tongue. He hadn't even hesitated a second before demanding that Ulquiorra shut his mouth, too afraid of what he might have heard.

But Orihime had wanted to hear his explanation. She still wondered deeply what he had meant, what he had failed to finish. She would often conjure up her own suggestions, completing the sentence in her mind, but they always never seemed to fit. She could never complete the sentence that Ulquiorra had failed to fully complete on his own.

But the implication hung over it like some heavy, pregnant cloud, and often, Orihime would complete the sentence, but feel so shocked and ashamed with herself that she would push it as far away from herself as physically possible. There was no way, no way in heaven and earth that _that _could have been what he'd wanted to say. The idea was almost laughable.

But, Orihime never laughed once. She couldn't find it in herself to do it.

The busty teenager's train of thought was sent crashing off the rails as the school bell rang, and Orihime shrieked softly as she was slammed back to reality. She jumped in her seat and looked around, preparing herself for the worst.

But the class didn't seem to notice her; the students too busy launching themselves out of their seats to notice. All you could see was flying students as they wrestled with one another to get out the door, four students getting stuck in the door frame as they all tried to get out the classroom at once. The teacher let out a sigh of dismay, not even bothering to say goodbye to her students as she sat down heavily at her desk, muttering to herself under her breath.

Orihime began to pack her bag, but was interrupted when a pair of hands slammed themselves onto the top of her desk. Orihime let out a cry of shock, almost falling backwards off her chair.

Keigo grinned, literally bouncing around in front of her. Mizuiro rolled his eyes at his companion, texting away at his phone as he sat down on the desk in front of Orihime's.

"Hey Orihime! You ready for the beach! This is going to be freaking awesome! I'm so excited! Aren't you just amped!"

"Shut up you idiot! You're going to scream the head right off her shoulders!" Tatsuki roared, slamming her fist into the side of Keigo's head, adding another lump to his already growing collection. The teenager made a grunting sound as he slid down the wall next to the window, mindlessly muttering about cola and bikini's as he slipped into semi-consciousness.

"B-Beach? What...?" Orihime stuttered, staring up at Tatsuki with big, confused eyes.

"What, you mean you've forgotten? Gosh Orihime, for the brightest girl in our class you can be such an air head!" Ichigo muttered, coming up with Rukia in tow to stand with the growing group of friends. Chad and Uryu joined in as well, standing around the horrified girl.

"That's not fair Ichigo! You're one to talk! With your grades I'd be surprised if there was anything in your head at all!" Rukia smirked, crossing her arms and closing her eyes smugly. Ichigo let out an angry hiss, balling his hands into fists and leaning in close to her face, scowling menacingly.

"What did you just say, Midget!"

"Stop calling me Midget! And you heard me loud and clear! Stop picking on Orihime!"

"I'll call you Midget as much as I damn hell want to! And I wasn't picking on her, I was teasing her!"

"No you can't! And if you're going to tease anyone, go tease you're hair some more! It looks like you missed a spot! You should remember to spread your gel in the mornings, spiky head!"

"That's it; I'm going to kill you! Wait till I get my hands on you!" Ichigo roared, making Rukia laugh as he jumped her. In a flash she was on her back on top of her desk, and her one leg was raised high, her foot pressed flat into Ichigo's face as his hands tried to grope around for her neck, accidently groping in some very inappropriate places.

"Ichigo stop being a...Oh my god, _Ichigo_! _If you grab my boobs one more time I'm going to slit your throat!_"

"Would you two _please_ stop molesting one another? Just go get a room will you? Damn it, can't you two even have the decency to refrain from sexual activity until you get back into your own room?" Uryu shouted, pointing a finger at the two Soul Reapers as they both froze, their cheeks turning blood red.

"She started it!" Ichigo managed to cry, his words muffled by Rukia's foot.

"That's not the point!"

"Well Uryu, it would have helped if you could have been a little more...oh I don't know, _subtle_!" Tatsuki growled, her ears glowing red as she glared at the genius.

"Well excuse me for trying to make a point," Uryu replied regally, pushing his glasses up his nose with a slim finger.

"I'm not even going to argue with you guys anymore! All you're doing is giving me a migraine!" Tatsuki growled, making Mizuiro chuckle.

"Almost makes you wish you didn't know who and what they are, right Tatsuki? But I guess that would have just made things worse, since we can actually see spirits too!"

Orihime smiled, remembering now. Keigo, Tatsuki and Mizuiro were a full part of the group now, since they had learnt about all their powers and positions from Kisuke Urahara. It still felt strange, hearing Tatsuki and the others talk about spirits as if they were just something they had to deal with everyday. But it was a nice kind of strange, something she enjoyed. It was great having her best friend with her again, and she was glad they could finally be a part of their group once more, like they used to be. Sure, they didn't have powers like the rest of them, but it was still great to have them there with them.

But, unfortunately, Orihime couldn't quite remember what all this had to do with the beach.

"Um, hehehe, guys? Could you please tell me what's going on again? I'm a little lost!" Orihime laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head as she closed her eyes sheepishly.

"Don't you remember Orihime? We were all going to go spend the weekend at the beach! There's this camping site right on the beach that we've booked! Ichigo's dad is taking us down there to spend the weekend with us! Don't you remember? You even packed this morning!" Tatsuki prompted, cocking her head to the side in surprise as she watched the red head's eyes widen in realization.

"Oh yes! Gosh, sorry guys! I guess my head isn't really screwed on to my neck properly!" Orihime laughed, sweat beading on the side of her head. She wiped it away sheepishly, laughing meekly at her own ignorance.

"Gosh, you can say that again! How can you forget about something that you did only this morning? And we've been talking about it forever!" Mizuiro asked, looking at her over his cell phone, thumb pausing over the buttons momentarily as he stared at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Well I...I've just had a lot on my mind, that's all!" Orihime replied hurriedly, hiding what was really wrong.

"Oh...well, that's okay, I guess! Are you excited?"

"Of course! I even bought a new bikini! It's white with pretty red flowers on it!" Orihime sang, bouncing up and down in her seat, throwing a big show about how excited she was, "Oh, and I made my Ultimate Super Sandwiches for you guys! You're all going to love them!"

At the mention of her 'Ultimate Super Sandwiches', every member of the group turned a completely different shade of green.

Well, everyone except Keigo, whose eyes opened wide, stars glinting in them as he sat up, completely ignoring the throbbing in his head that came from his two fiery red bumps.

"Did you just say a new bikini? With red flowers on it! Oh, pinch me I'm in heaven! Oh please tell me it's too small!" he sang, staring up at Orihime's overly large breasts with starry eyes, drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth.

"Shut your mouth, you stinking pervert!" Tatsuki roared, her foot lashing out as she kicked him over the head, her foot connecting with his skull with a painful crack. For the third time in minutes, Keigo fell backwards, his body shivering and twitching as he collapsed into semi-consciousness, blood dripping from his nose.

"I swear if he makes another comment like that, I'm going to cut his balls off!" Tatsuki growled, making Orihime giggle.

"Oh no, it's fine Tatsuki! I'm used to it! I don't really pay attention to it much anymore!" she assured, smiling at her friend warmly.

"Well, I'm not surprised! With assets like those, you're bound to get that much attention!" Rukia smiled kindly, making Orihime blush and smile.

"Oh yeah, you're more than free to talk, Midget!" Ichigo snickered, a grin spreading across his face.

"What the hell are you implying!" Rukia shouted, glaring up at him, baring her teeth angrily.

"You know full well what I'm implying!" Ichigo smirked, smiling down at her wickedly.

With a cry of anger, Rukia slammed her fist into his gut, her eyes flashing with fiery rage.

"I'll make you pay!"

"Would you two _shut up?_!" Uryu shouted, gritting his teeth angrily, his hands balled into fists as he glared at the bickering couple.

"It's not _my _fault! _He _started it!" Rukia shouted, pointing a quivering finger at the snickering Shinigami. When Ichigo began to laugh uncontrollably, she stuck her tongue out at him comically, turning away as she gave him the cold shoulder, muttering something like "smart ass" under her breath.

Orihime was about to contribute to the conversation, when she heard a voice call to her from the other end of the classroom.

"Ms. Inoue?"

Orihime turned, and she felt her spirits sink at what she saw.

Orihime's once bubbly homeroom teacher was standing at the front of the class, the eyes behind her glasses clouded with worry. The principal stood next to her, along with a motherly looking art teacher, the arty woman wearing a stained apron, the white material stained in multiple different colours. Her warm chocolate brown hair was tied in a messy bun, and her once smiling eyes were also clouded in worry, the corners of her lips turned down.

"Y-yes sir?" Orihime asked, standing up from her chair as the others stood around her, moving out of her line of sight to form a semi circle around her, their faces turning from happy to shocked and anxious.

"We would like to speak with you for a moment, in my office. You should bring your bag along," the principal ordered, nodding to her school bag. Ichigo and the others sucked in a quiet breath, looking from one to the other with wide eyes.

"D-did I do something w-wrong?" Orihime stammered, her emotional grey eyes widening and shivering in shock and confusion. But her art teacher shook her head, smiling slightly.

"It's all right honey, you didn't do anything wrong. We just think we should have a chat with you for a bit. Don't be scared," she reassured, her eyes sparkling with a kind, almost sad light.

Orihime nodded slowly, picking up her school bag. She smiled bravely to the others, and Tatsuki stepped forwards, touching Orihime's arm.

"Give me your house keys. I'll fetch your stuff at your place and take it over to Ichigo's. You can get changed there! I'll make sure all your stuff's locked up tight!"

"Thanks, Tatsuki! I'll get there soon, I promise! This won't take long!" Orihime said bravely, handing Tatsuki her house keys with a smile.

"Whatever you say Orihime...just, you know, be careful okay?" Tatsuki asked, nodding to the strong sunset haired girl.

"I will! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"

Tatsuki nodded, not entirely convinced. She thrust her head towards Keigo, and Chad picked up the muttering teenager, carrying him like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. Mizuiro didn't seem fazed by this at all, and he threw Orihime a supportive thumbs up over their shoulders as they left the room.

Orihime watched them leave, putting on a brave face. As the last person left the room she sighed, slumping slightly where she stood before straightening, squaring her shoulders as she turned to the staff members, her chin raised and her ample chest pressed out as she walked towards her fate.

Her homeroom teacher smiled at her, placing a hand on Orihime's shoulder. Although she was older than Orihime, they were both the same height, so she was not forced to look up at her all the time like she had to with most of her students.

"You can join your friends soon, Orihime. We won't keep you long! We just have some...issues we'd like to address," she told her as they walked out the classroom door, heading down the well lit corridors as they made their way to the principal's office.

Orihime nodded, looking around at the already deserted corridors. Of course the school would be deserted by now. No student would even dream of staying even a second longer in school at the start of the Summer Holidays. So of course, this was the perfect time to call her out, since now no one would see her and begin to spread rumours about her trip to the Dragon's Lair. She could only imagine the wild stories that would be conjured up as the students tried to think up a reason as to why a star pupil like her would be sent to the principal's office after school hours. The very idea of it made her want to blanch.

But, even she didn't know why she was being called in to begin with. She couldn't remember doing anything wrong, or anything out of the usual for that matter. And they couldn't be calling her in for bad marks, since her report card was full of straight A's. What could she have possibly done wrong?

Suddenly, a thought made her jump.

What if the government had stopped paying for her? What if Karakura High School was no longer receiving her school fees, and they were about to kick her out? Could fate really be that cruel? And if that was the case, what on earth was she going to do now? She hadn't even finished school yet, so how was she supposed to get a well paying job to provide for herself? Surely the government wouldn't just abandon a seventeen year old and just expect them to finish school with their own funds! That wasn't how they worked! Surely, if anything went wrong, it wouldn't be on that side of the fence.

But either way, she was being called into the office. She would find out soon enough what had happened, so there was no point building herself up for the worst.

They finally reached the office, and they stepped in, Orihime stepping aside to let the staff in first. She closed the door behind them and settled down in the chair indicated to her, the chair placed right in front of the large, polished oak desk.

The principal took his seat in the large chair behind the desk, and the teachers sat in the chairs around Orihime, one sitting on either side of her. The chairs and desk circled Orihime in, allowing all the teachers to have a clear view of her.

The principal coughed and cleaned his glasses, taking his time as he looked over Orihime's papers and birth certificate. He moved the papers aside seriously, regarding each one before turning to the next. Orihime watched him nervously, her creamy hands clasped firmly in her lap as she waited for him to finish.

Finally, the elderly man looked up, moving his glasses up his nose calmly.

"Ms. Inoue, it seems you are currently living alone in an apartment, am I correct?"

Orihime nodded, her eyes widening slightly. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"I see then. Well, we have received a very serious warning from your art teacher. I believe you have a few concerns for her, Mrs. Painter?"

"Yes sir, I have a few concerns regarding Orihime," Mrs. Painter murmured, nodding sadly, not looking at the young woman.

"Thank you. Now Orihime, you homeroom teacher has some questions for you."

Orihime turned to her teacher, who smiled at her kindly. For the first time, Orihime realized she was holding a file, the file opened to a page Orihime could not see.

"Now Orihime, tell me dear, do you have any problems at home? Any issues or problems you'd like to tell us about?"

Orihime's eyes widened, and she shook her head wildly, waving her hands to her, "N-no! Of course not! I live by myself, so I don't see why I'd have any problems!"

"I see...do you perhaps get lonely? Maybe even a little depressive? I understand if you do, living by yourself from such a young age must be very harsh for you to cope with."

Orihime twiddled her fingers in her lap, crossing and uncrossing her ankles, "Well...of course, it does get kind of lonely but...I'm never actually depressed! I've kind of gotten used to it! And I always have my friends with me during the day!"

Of course, part of this was a lie.

Somehow, her teacher caught the scent of the well placed lie, but she ignored it, moving on.

"Right. I believe your brother died quite a few years ago. This subject may be a little sensitive to work on, but do you still mourn the loss of you brother? Are you still feeling upset by what happened, or have you made peace with it?"

"Um...of course I still feel really sad about it, but I've kind of moved on! I love my brother, and I know that he's moved on to a better place. I don't feel sad over him anymore, even though I shall always miss him."

"That's good to hear sweetie. Now, this question may seem odd, but have you ever been attacked before? Maybe beaten or perhaps sexually molested? I know that's a harsh question, but we need to get around it," she asked softly, trying not to scare Orihime too badly.

Orihime's eyes widened, and she shook her head violently, her eyes as wide as saucers, "N-no no, no! Of course not! I've never been r-_raped_ before! Not that I remember anyway! Ma'am, I'm sorry, but where are you going with this? I don't understand! What did I do wrong?" Orihime cried, her voice beginning to tremble as her eyes shivered with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry Orihime. I know this is hard, but we think we have reason to worry. I only have one more question for you, and then we can get down to the bottom of this. Can you do this for me?"

Orihime bit her lip, nodding slowly, trying not to cry. This was absolutely horrible. She didn't want to hear any of this! Why were they asking these horrible questions? What could she have possibly done to be asked if she had ever been _raped_ before? Surely that was crossing some hidden line!

"Okay dear, final question. Have you currently been involved in an abusive relationship? Like a violent boyfriend? Perhaps a dark figure in your life who you feel is looming over you? Or maybe it's someone from the past? Someone who you can't quite shake off?"

Orihime's back went dead rigid, and her hands went cold and clammy. Sweat beaded in her hair, and a set of dark emerald eyes flashed across her vision, blurring in her mind's eye. The young woman felt her body tremble, and she prayed to whatever god there was that the staff did not notice her reaction to the question.

"No Ma'am. Nothing like that at all! To be honest, I've never had a boyfriend before! And I don't have anyone dark looming over me, or at least, not that I specifically know of. Sir, Ma'am, I really don't understand. What did I do wrong? I honestly feel fine! Where does all of this come from? And why are you concerned about me, Mrs. Painter?"

Mrs. Painter sighed, shaking her head sadly. She nodded to the homeroom teacher, indicating for her to move on.

The teacher nodded, and she shifted the folder in her hand, her long nails effortlessly catching a page from the plastic sleeves and pulling it out.

"We have reason to have concern for you, Orihime. Particularly your emotional and...Dare I say mental health?"

"You see dear, we began to worry about you when you handed this in to us. I'm sure you can remember it. It's this term's final art project. Surely you can see the cause of our concern!"

She handed the page to Orihime, the red head taking it with a strangely steady hand. She knew what was happening now. She didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what was on that page. The minute they had mentioned 'art project', it had all slipped effortlessly into place in her mind.

But still, she couldn't stop her eyes from widening slightly when they fell on the page before her.

After you've drawn something and left it for quite a while, the next time you see it, the whole thing seems fresh and different, and you look at the work of art in a completely different perspective. You see mistakes that you never saw before; you marvel at the beauty that you had never really thought about until then. And, often, you wonder what on earth was going through your head when you had started on it. You might even wonder what type of mental state you must be in to conjure up something even remotely similar to what you have before you.

This was what happened to Orihime as she stared at her drawing, her emotions battling to take control of her as she bit her lip, forcing her feelings of astonishment and shock down into the very pits of her soul.

The page was darkened, shaded in with dark 7B pencil. The drawing was of a dark room, the only source of light coming from a barred window, a reversed crescent moon allowing pure white light to enter the room. In the shadows you could barely see the outline of an overly large couch, and to the other side, a small table and oddly shaped chair.

But it was the figures in the middle of the page that caught the most attention.

A young woman knelt in the ray of moonlight, her figure angelic and lit up in holy light, long fiery orange hair sprayed out behind her. Her creamy skin was covered in a long white dress, the outfit covering almost her entire body. Her face was dripping with tears, and she was reaching out, trying to grab the creature before her with desperate hands. This figure stood partially in shadow, half of his pale body lit up in the moonlight. The rest was hidden in shadow, the outline of large, midnight black wings and a tail standing out in the dark. Two large, furred coat tails sprouted from his hips, covering the back of his furred legs and rear end, looking like odd tuxedo tails. Fur covered his arms and from his hips downwards, his feet and hands forming gruesome talons capable of slicing through flesh like butter. One of the most horrifying things about him was the large hole in his chest, dark liquid spilling from it like blood, as if someone had torn his heart from his chest. And to top off his horrific appearance, ivory horns sprouted from his head, and black tear streaks covered his pale face, the tears as dark as his messy ebony hair. Emotionless dark eyes stared down at the crying woman, his expression completely stoic and blank. But one hand was reaching out to her, his clawed talons stretching out to touch one of her hands.

Orihime knew this picture all too well. She had spent countless days and nights drawing it, her pencil moving angrily across the page as she fought back tears. At the time she had never intended it to be her art project, only realizing half way through that she was going to hand it in to her teacher. The idea seemed like a good one at the time, but now she knew it was beyond stupid. What on earth had compelled her to hand _this _in as a project, of all things? Of course, this was an emotional piece of work, but damn it, art work like this should never, under any circumstances, be shown to any other soul.

Unless of course, you wanted to get locked in the nearest asylum. She couldn't blame her teachers for being concerned.

With a tender hand, Mrs. Painter took the picture from her, showing it to the principal quietly. Orihime didn't even bother to object. She knew he would have seen it already.

"This...picture is obviously a very emotional piece of work. The symbolism in this is endless! Excuse me for jumping to conclusions, Orihime, but this work seems to be a direct link to you inner feelings and fears. Of course, we can assume this girl is you, and this room you're in appears to be a cell of some kind. This could signify a feeling of seclusion or bondage, maybe indicating that you feel trapped and alone. Also, there's the reversed moon, which could mean that you feel like your life isn't the same anymore, that your world has been turned upside down"

"Also, there's this other figure with you, this demon of some kind. This dark, almost hellish figure could be someone in your life, or perhaps simply a feeling of foreboding hanging over you. But from the way you are reaching for him, it would seem that there is deeper meaning to him. Perhaps he signifies your dead brother, or maybe even someone in your life who treats you badly even though you love them. You told us that you're not in an abusive relationship, but my dear, this picture certainly points to it. Orihime, please, tell us honestly now. Have you, or are you being sexually abused by some, maybe beaten or forced into things you can't handle? We're here to help you! Telling us things like this will make things better, I promise!"

Orihime stared at her, her eyes wide. She looked from the picture to Mrs. Painter, looking between them slowly before shaking her head. She put on a hurried smile, waving her hands wildly as a sweat drop rolled down the side of her head.

"I swear to you, I am not in anything of the sort, Mrs. Painter! You must understand! I just drew this out of whimsy! I watched this movie...yes, of course! I saw this really awesome movie, and I wanted to draw a picture of it! And I put myself in as the main character! It was supposed to be just for fun, but I guess it just went a little bit too far!"

Mrs. Painter stared at her in disbelief, her eyes wide. She pointed a finger at the drawing, her eyebrows raised.

"So...you're saying this has no emotional or deeper meaning what so ever?"

Orihime nodded, smiling, "Yes Ma'am. I'm sorry I had to shoot down your theory like that, but it's the truth! I'm perfectly fine!"

Mrs. Painter remained still for a moment, before slumping in her seat, sighing dramatically.

"Well, if you say so...but Orihime, please...refrain from drawing these types of things again! You have no idea how much you scared me! I was genuinely worried about you!" she cried, handing the drawing back to the hurriedly apologizing red head.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Painter, I won't do it again! I promise! But thank you for caring!"

Mrs. Painter laughed weakly, shaking her head.

"How could someone _not _care about you, Orihime?"

Orihime's smile faltered for a split second, but she hid it surprisingly well. She stood up and bowed to all three elders, stuttering out apologies and asking for permission to leave. The headmaster nodded lazily, and with a final farewell Orihime danced out the office, closing the door soundly behind her.

The teenager walked steadily down the corridor, her pace picking up slowly. As she rounded the corner she broke out into a dead run, her shoes pounding on the marble floors as she ran as far away from the office as possible. She clutched the drawing in her hands, pressing it to her chest as she desperately searched for an open classroom.

She found one, and she flung herself inside, slamming and locking the door behind her. For a second she remained motionless, staring down at the ground, her body pressed to the door. But suddenly, her shoulders began to shake uncontrollably, and tears brimmed over in her eyes, falling down her cheeks as she slid down the door, crumbling into a heap on the cold tiled floor. She sobbed brokenly, curling up into a ball, hugging herself as she cried. Her drawing lay not too far away from her, safe from the tears that fell from her eyes to the floor. Her body shook with sobs and shivers, and she began to beg, knowing no one would hear or answer her.

"Why me? Why me of all people? I wanted to be strong, to help people, but now...now I'm nothing! Everything I do, everything I try to accomplish, just comes straight back to him! I don't want this; I don't want this at all! I want to be _normal_! I want to be with my friends and worry about normal things, like Ichigo and homework and movies! I want to be able to sit outside and think! But now, every time I'm alone, my thought's always come back to _him_!"

She couldn't take it anymore. She felt angry and upset, the two emotions tearing her to pieces. She was angry at him, at herself, at Ichigo, at everything that had anything to do with this. Of course, she knew Ulquiorra had no say in what was happening, but she just wanted to move on, to forget about the past, no matter how much she wanted to live in it. Holding on to the dead Arrancar would only bring her loneliness and despair, and she knew she had to let him go, to move on.

But she knew she would never be able to do it. Just as much as he was a dream in her mind, it was a total pie-in-the-sky dream to think she would ever be able to move on.

He would always haunt her, always remain in her heart and mind. Every time her heart beat she would remember that he had none, remember how much he had deserved a heart. Every time she saw someone sad, she would see his eyes and tear streaks, see him standing before her with wide, shocked eyes. And every time she felt sad and alone, she would see him reaching out for her, his body beginning to drift away.

Orihime would never be rid of him, and that made her sad and angry. She didn't want to forget him, but she wanted to be rid of the over powering sadness that threatened to send her toppling over the edge into insanity.

It was like when he had died, he had taken her heart with him, leaving his broken and nonexistent one behind with her.

Orihime slowed her crying, and she looked up, her grey eyes sparkling wetly from her tears.

"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra..."

This was not the first or last time she'd say those words.

* * *

Tatsuki, dressed in a dark blue shirt and white beach shorts, paced in front of Ichigo's house, her eyes darkened with worry. Every once in a while she would angrily kick at the ground, sending dirt and stones flying up in a cloud of dust.

Ichigo and the others stood around, hovering around a large grey family Kombi, the van large enough for the whole group to squeeze into. Ichigo was standing next to Rukia, leaning against the van lazily, his arm draped around her petite shoulders. He was dressed in a white tank top with black shorts, while Rukia was dressed in a sky blue sundress, her shoulders and feet bare, a pair of dark sunglasses resting on her head.

"If she paces any more, she's going to make a trench," Ichigo muttered, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back, soaking up the sunlight. Rukia shrugged, lifting the heavy weight of his arm effortlessly.

"She's just worried. Like we are. She has every right to pace like that."

Ichigo grunted, turning to look at his beautiful partner. She never failed to take his breath away, and the sight of her in her dress made him even more excited for the weekend ahead. This would be their first time away together, and he wanted to show her everything there was in this world, including ice cream and sand castles and everything that seemed beautiful in the world.

"I guess you're right. Tell me, when are Renji and the others arriving?"

"They'll arrive when we get there. They told me they were going to open a portal to the camp grounds, so you don't have to stress out about finding them," Rukia assured, placing her hand over his gently. Renji, Rangiku, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Toshiro would be joining them over the weekend. There was no way they would allow Ichigo to leave them out. Well, everyone except Toshiro, who was more than happy to stay behind, but was eventually forced into it by the non-stop pestering and begging from Rangiku.

"Ha, like I'd ever stress over them. I was kind of hoping they'd just get lost on the way there," Ichigo muttered, turning his head to the side childishly.

"Don't make me laugh. You'd wet yourself if they got lost! You care too much about them!" Rukia smirked, folding her arms in her typical behaviour. Ichigo glared at her, but couldn't find the right words to argue. But thankfully, Tatsuki spoke up, breaking the victorious silence.

"I don't get it! Why would they call Orihime in? She's never done anything wrong in her entire life! Those bastards have got the wrong girl I tell you! Why not Chizuru? _She_ should be sent to the principal in a straight jacket and chains, not Orihime of all people!"

"Oh I don't know, maybe Orihime's a bad girl and we don't even know it!" Keigo laughed, lying on the roof of the van, dressed in khaki shorts and a red Hawaiian shirt with white flowers outlined on it. He laughed heartily, waving his sandaled feet in the air as he performed on top of the van.

"Oh, I don't think so Mr. Asano. Orihime isn't that kinky. I don't think she's got a bad bone in her body," Mizuiro said happily from the door of the van, leaning against the back of the front passenger seat, texting away at his cell phone. He was the only one dressed in jeans, and he wore a white and grey shirt, the words 'Don't call me, I'll text you' standing out in black on the back. He smiled as he heard Keigo whine, not even bothering to reply to the ever happy school boy.

"But still, Tatsuki has a point. You'd also think she would have been back by now," Uryu admitted, leaning against the van door. He was dressed in black shorts and a royal blue, loose fitting button up shirt, and he had a small bag slung over his shoulder, the bag full of sun block and other odds and ends.

"For once I'm going to agree with you, Uryu! Thank God someone's finally taking this seriously!" Tatsuki cried, glaring at the others. With a growl she kicked at the dirt again, sending a large pebble flying into the metal of a nearby parked car, making a loud bang echo through the air. Ichigo let out a shout of anger, but Tatsuki ignored it, appearing nonchalant to the fact that she had just damaged someone's prized means of transport.

"You idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing, kicking stones around like that! Are you insane!" Ichigo shouted, pointing a finger at the dented car. Tatsuki glared at him, coming right up to him to shout in his face.

"I don't give a flying shit about some bastard's car! And if you shout at me one more time I'm going to stick my hand down your throat and pull your ba-,"

"Orihime's here," Chad said, his deep voice making everyone stand to attention. He was dressed in his famous pale blue and white tank top, and he wore a set of dark grey shorts. He pointed to a solitary figure hurrying down the street, and Tatsuki stepped away from Ichigo, turning and running to meet her best friend.

Orihime smiled as Tatsuki came up to her, slowing down and stopping as the fighter reached her. Tatsuki smiled and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently.

"What took you so long? We didn't think you'd have to stay there so long! What happened in there?" she questioned, looking Orihime up and down, as if she had just come back from a war instead of the principal's office.

Orihime laughed good-naturedly, smiling at her friend cheerfully, "It was nothing! They just wanted to discuss my grades! They also offered to give me an honour student's badge, but I said it was alright! I wouldn't want everyone to get jealous!"

Tatsuki frowned, taking a step back, "But that doesn't sound right. They didn't look very happy with you..."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that! Maybe they were just upset about the other students' grades or something! I didn't really pay attention that much! I was too excited!" Orihime laughed, waving her arms about like a mad thing.

But Tatsuki still frowned, feeling slightly uneasy, "But what about Mrs. Painter? Why was she there?"

Orihime shrugged, still smiling despite it all, "She just wanted to ask me if I'd like to put some of my art in the school newspaper! But I didn't want that at all! Imagine how embarrassing that would be, having everyone in the whole school see it like that! I told her I'd rather not, and thankfully she wasn't too upset about it! But anyway, it was nothing important, I promise!"

Tatsuki nodded, smiling slightly, "Oh, I guess it's alright then! I locked up your house for you, and I brought your bags here! You can get changed in Karin and Yuzu's room," she said, pointing to Orihime's baby blue bag, the bag placed next to Ichigo's front door.

"Oh, thank you Tatsuki! Tell the others I'll be back in a minute! Save a seat for me next to you!" the bubbly teenager called behind her, already running to her bag. She reached the door soon enough and stepped inside, scooping up her bag along the way.

Tatsuki walked to the van, watching as the others closed the boot and climbed in. Ichigo and Rukia took up the first row of seats, Rukia making sure to leave open an aisle seat for Yuzu. Keigo, Mizuiro and Chad took up the next row, the over-excited Keigo beginning to sing popular songs and bounce in his seat. Mizuiro ignored him, still texting away at his phone as if he lived on it. Uryu took one of the seats in the back row, leaving two open for Tatsuki and Orihime. The raven haired athlete thanked him, taking her seat next to him, leaving a seat to her right open for Orihime; since she knew the bubbly young woman loved window seats the most.

But Tatsuki wasn't as happy as the others. Her eyes were clouded with doubt and worry, and a single thought ran through her mind, leaving cold fear in its wake.

_You're a terrible liar, Orihime..._

"_You used to captivate me__  
__By your resonating light__  
__Now I'm bound by the life you left behind__  
__Your face it haunts__  
__My once pleasant dreams__  
__Your voice it chased away__  
__All the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal__  
__This pain is just too real__  
__There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears__  
__When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears__  
__And I held your hand through all of these years__  
__But you still have__  
__All of me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone__  
__But though you're still with me__  
__I've been alone all along_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears__  
__When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears__  
__And I held your hand through all of these years__  
__But you still have__  
__All of me"_

Evanescence – My Immortal

_

* * *

_**Awesomeness, first actual chapter finished! I'm so happy! I love it when a perfect plan comes together!**

**I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I live to write and dream, and if my dreams and stories make people happy, then I have served my purpose! :D **

***cough cough* Yeah, I know this story seems really sad, but please bear with me! It's sad in the beginning, but it will get better soon, I promise! I'm just trying to make this as realistic as possible! She's going through emotional trauma and loss, so of course she'd have all these terrible depressing habits. I'm sorry if it's too depressive and deep for some of you, but I promise it will get better! :)**

**And please forgive me for my terrible Art Teacher - Mrs. Painter joke! Lol, that was so corny, but I couldn't resist! ;P**

**Thank you to all you AWESOME viewers who reviewed and faved this story! I love you guys, I really do! And for those who didn't, I love you too! :D And don't be afraid to review! I love constructive criticism and advice! It helps us writers grow and fix our mistakes! SO if you have any advice, feel free to throw it at me! :) And, I hope that my characters are all in character! If they're OOC, please tell me so I can fix it!**

**I'll try to update soon guys! But I have exams coming up, so I doubt I'll be able to get up the next chapter until the end of next week! Sorry! :( But I'll try my hardest to get it through to you guys!**

**Oh, and I drew a UlquiHime picture for this story! I'm so proud of it! If you'd like to see it, type in these words in the deviant art search box.**

**'Ulquiorra and Orihime Where the Heart is Fan Art'**

**I couldn't post a link, since doesn't like links very much! :( But I hope you can find it, and I hope you like it! **

**Until next time! :)**


	3. 2 My Castle Made of Sand

**Alright, finally chapter 2! I'm so happy now to see that I could FINALLY get it up! Honestly, this last week has been a real pain! Not only did I miss my exams because I got really sick, but I've been having nightmares about poor Ulquiorra! Almost all of them made me wake up crying for him! I have no idea why I'm having these sad dreams about him, but I think it might have to do with the fact that I just downloaded Bleach Episode 267 - 272...it's horrible, and I haven't had the courage to watch episode 272 yet! T_T If I'm going to watch it, someone needs to hold my hand and comfort me when the time comes for Ulquiorra to...I'm not even going to say it, it's too horrible! 0_0  
But, thankfully, there was this one nightmare that gave me this AWESOME plot idea for the story! It just hit me like a speeding train when I woke up, and through my tears, I couldn't help but smile! :D I can't wait to reveal it to you guys!**

**Anyway, I'll let you guys move on and read your chapter! Hope you like it! :D **

**My Castle made of Sand**

"_All work no play may have made Jack a dull boy__  
__But all work no God has left Jack with a lost soul__  
__But he's moving on full steam__  
__He's chasing the American dream__  
__He's gonna give his family finer things_

_"Not this time son I've no time to waste__  
__Maybe tomorrow we'll have time to play"__  
__And then he slips into his new BMW__  
__And drives farther and farther and farther away_

_Cause he works all day and tries to sleep at night__  
__He says things will get better;__  
__Better in time_

_So he works and he builds with his own two hands__  
__And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand__  
__But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in__  
__Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands__  
__His kingdom stands"__  
_

"That's it, we're lost," muttered Karin darkly, tilting her head to the side and resting her forehead on the window to her left, gritting her teeth angrily.

Ichigo and the others went dead silent, their eyes widening slightly. Rukia let out a choking sound in her throat, as if she had something large and distasteful stuck there.

The silence didn't last long.

"What the hell do you mean we're lost!" Ichigo roared, his hand grabbing the back of his dad's head-rest angrily.

"Come now Ichigo, we're not _lost_! I'm just taking a shortcut and discovering places I've never even seen before!" Isshin sang, grinning as he swerved the van dangerously across the road, crossing the centre line slightly before dashing across into the correct lane again. He was dressed in an overly large straw hat and white smiley-face shorts, his chest and back bare. He grinned and laughed, making a show as he tried to show off his happy attitude and supposedly awesome parenting-skills.

"That's almost the damn text book definition of the word _lost_, you idiot!" Ichigo shouted in his dad's ear, his face turning red with frustration. He attempted to grab Isshin's neck, but he was tackled from behind by Rukia, the young woman kicking him to the floor of the van.

"Are you insane! Do you _want _us to all get killed in a car accident! Use your brain Ichigo, if you even have one!"

"You irritating little pest! Get off my head will ya? Argh!" Ichigo cried, Rukia's bare foot crushing his head against the floor of the van.

"Not until you calm down!" Rukia growled, pressing her foot down harder.

"I am calm damn it!"

Uryu sighed from the back of the van, shaking his head almost sadly in defeat, "I give up with those two. Everything I say just goes in through one ear and out the other with them. It's almost as if they haven't learnt to respond to languages yet."

"You can say that again. I'm not surprised you've given up by now," Tatsuki agreed, folding her arms, and watching the two Soul Reapers bicker childishly.

"Aw, I don't think it's that bad! I think it's funny...and kind of cute!"Orihime chirped, smiling as Ichigo began to tug on Rukia's leg.

"You find a lot of things cute, Orihime," Uryu replied, shaking his head. Orihime smiled, and was about to reply when Isshin let out a cry of joy.

"I see it! We're here my beautiful children! Didn't I tell you that your awesome daddy would get you there safe and sound!" he sang, pointing ecstatically towards the sea as they rounded a corner, the van coming out of the forest road and beginning to take the winding road down the cliff face to the coast line. The teenagers let out a unified sigh of relief, and Keigo began to sing a sunny pop song, bouncing up and down in his set and he tried to press his face as close to the window as physically possible.

"Don't wet yourself Mr. Asano, it's just the sea," warned Mizuiro, closing his phone for the first time since he had opened it in class. Keigo stopped singing, and he tore his face away from the glass, beginning to dance about next to his friend.

"I can't help myself! This is just too awesome! Can't you see it Mizuiro! Think about it! Bikini's, ice cream, marshmallows, watermelon, scary stories around the campfire! Man, this is going to be _sweet_!" Keigo cried, bouncing up and down violently enough to make the van shake on its axes.

"Stop bouncing around before you kill us all, you idiot!" Tatsuki roared, grabbing Keigo's hair and pulling it. Keigo let out a cry and began to whine, tears streaming down his face as she pulled at his hair maliciously.

"Honestly, I can't believe I've been stuck in a car with you people for over two hours," muttered Uryu, shaking his head as he rested his head in the palm of his hand.

"Well, you're not exactly a bucket full of sunshine either, are you Ishida?" snapped Ichigo angrily, rubbing the side of his aching head, his lips pulled down in a scowl.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me, Arts-and-Crafts-boy! Stop whining, we're all in the same god-damn boat as you are!" Ichigo snapped, pointing a finger at the seething Quincy. Uryu opened his mouth to retaliate, but Rukia cut in, pointing an accusing finger at both parties.

"Both of you just grow up! If the two of you keep bickering, I think I'm going to lose all the will to live! Gods do the two of you give me a headache!"

"_But you're the one who started this argument in the first place_!" both Ichigo and Uryu cried together, their eyes widening in horror as they watched Rukia smirk at them.

"No I didn't, I merely tried to help Mr. Isshin! You two should be ashamed of yourselves, distracting someone while they're trying to drive!"

Just then, as the word 'trying' escaped her lips, the van gave a dangerous swerve across the road, and Rukia let out a cry of shock, falling onto Ichigo and clinging to him for dear life, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Oops, sorry Third-Daughter! I didn't mean to startle you like that! There was a hole in the road!" Isshin sang, swerving the van straight back into the left lane. Rukia did not even dare to let go of Ichigo, her eyes still wide as she clung to the spiky haired youth like a lemur, her arms locked around him in a death grip.

Ichigo looked down at her, his eyes equally wide, before smirking wickedly, grinning down at the petite woman in his arms, "Yes, you were saying, Rukia?"

Silence reigned inside the van, before Rukia let out a cry of anger, making everyone wince painfully as their eardrums took on another violent beating.

"Where the hell did you get your driver's licence! You could have just killed us! What the hell were you thinking!" Rukia screamed comically, her eyes wide as she glared at Isshin's head, her arms gripping Ichigo tight enough to make his face turn red from lack of oxygen.

"That's such a rude thing to say, Third-Daughter! Don't you love me! And there I thought you and Ichigo were going to give me grandchildren!" Isshin cried, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to drive the van and blow his nose at the same time.

"Well what did you exp-_What did you just say_!" Rukia cried her cheeks turning blood red as her hands froze around Ichigo, her eyes widening incredibly in shock and embarrassment.

"Oh my, now wasn't _that_ embarrassing!" Mizuiro smirked, smiling as Rukia and Ichigo both turned completely different shades of red.

"You have no idea just how screwed you are, old man," Karin muttered, watching as both Ichigo and Rukia glared at Isshin, their fingers curling and uncurling as they imagine all the things they could do to the overly happy father later.

"Aw Karin, don't say that! You'll just make it worse!" Yuzu whined, watching the couple with wide eyes as she looked from them to the blissfully ignorant Isshin, wringing her hands nervously.

"Ha, like I could care less. He deserves it for being such an idiot," Karin murmured lazily, waving a hand dismissively at the grinning man. She turned in her seat to rest her head against the window, her eyes closing as she blocked out the rest of the sound in the packed van.

Tatsuki laughed as she watched this, her hands finally free of Keigo's hair. She turned to speak to her bubbly best friend, her lips pulled up in a smirk.

But her words died in her throat, her smiling falling from her lips.

Orihime was staring out the window, her dark grey eyes clouded and distant, all the light gone from them. Her lips were slightly parted, and her face was close to the window as she rested her head in her right hand, playing with a lock of fiery sunset hair idly. Tatsuki watched with shocked eyes as Orihime brought her hand up to her face, staring at her hand in the light, turning it over and over and flexing the fingers, as if she was transfixed by her own hand.

Tatsuki tried to force down the cry of panic that clawed at her throat as she watched her, her mouth going dry. It was at times like these that Tatsuki found herself hating Ichigo for what he had done to Orihime. Of course, it wasn't Ichigo's fault she got kidnapped, but Tatsuki knew it was partly his fault. Because out of everyone, Ichigo was the strongest, and he should have been watching Orihime, the weakest and most vulnerable person in their group of fighters. How could he have let this happen to Orihime, of all people? She deserved this the least; she didn't deserve to be broken so easily.

The moment Orihime had stepped back into Tatsuki's arms; the young woman had known something was wrong with her best friend. It wasn't anything physical; she was still the smiling bubbly girl from before. But it was there, something that tugged at Tatsuki's heart and made her want to scream and run away in panic. It was like Orihime had had something cut out of her while she was lost in Limbo, her soul still locked away in the dark clutches of Los Noches.

Tatsuki didn't know all of what had happened in this place the others spoke about, but from what she had heard, she figured Orihime had been held captive by someone dark and over shadowing, someone that had broken and pushed Orihime's spirit down and claimed her as his own. The place she had been in was equally as dark, but it had been nothing compared to the psychological cage she had been forced into. And, much to Tatsuki's horror, Orihime had not been brought back in the correct state when Ichigo had brought her through the black Garganta all that time ago.

Orihime Inoue had been brought back still in her cage, and no one had been able to bring her out of it, no matter what they did or said to comfort her.

In more ways than one, Grimmjow had been right. Orihime had been messed up from the _inside_, not the outside. Her body was still stunning and flawless, but her heart and mind were twisted into a belief that she would have once shied away from, but now embraced with everything she had. And, Grimmjow was not the only one on this frightfully correct train of thought. Ulquiorra had jumped on that band wagon as well, claiming that Orihime was now a part of them, that she belonged with the Arrancar. And as much as Ichigo and his friends, Uryu in particular, would like to deny it; they knew Ulquiorra Schiffer had been right all along. Orihime had been swallowed up by Los Noches, and her heart would forever partly remain there, held forever in the unconscious grasp of a long departed Arrancar. Her mind would always wander straight back to memories of that place, or more specifically, to thoughts of a person she had left behind there.

And this angered Tatsuki the most, because she had no idea who Orihime was thinking of, and more than anything, she wanted this person, or _thing_, to leave Orihime the hell alone.

"Hey, Orihime, what's wrong?" Tatsuki asked quietly, grabbing Orihime's hand and shaking it slightly. Orihime was thrown from her train of thought, and her eyes widened, the light returning to them. She turned and smiled cheerfully at Tatsuki, grinning as she wiggled in her seat.

"Of course! I was just thinking of some really scary stories we can tell each other tonight! I hope we all don't get too scared! Oh, and can you imagine all the pranks we can play on Ichigo and them while they're sleeping! That's going to be so much fun!"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure _that's_ going to be fun!" Tatsuki laughed, watching as Orihime turned back to the window, still smiling as she watched the twisting blue coastline in the distance. Tatsuki could see that she was drifting back off onto her original train of thought again, her eyes becoming over shadowed once more. But this time the red head remembered to smile, hiding her dark thoughts away from everyone else.

Tatsuki sighed, and she turned to look at Uryu. The genius also had his eyes on Orihime, and he looked to Tatsuki, his eyes equally clouded with worry and doubt as they both acknowledged one another.

_Oh, we're sure you're thinking of some very scary stories Orihime...the question is whether you will actually dare to share them around the camp fire with us_ _or not..._

_

* * *

_

The van finally pulled to a stop on the camp ground's grass, and with a cry of unbridled joy Keigo threw open the van door, allowing himself to fall to the grass with sobs of joy and happiness.

"We're here, we're finally here! Oh someone please pinch me I must be dreaming!" he sang, rolling around on the grass happily as he soaked up the sunlight and salty sea air.

His pleading was answered when Tatsuki stepped out of the van, her feet landing firmly on his back and head, one foot pressing his face into the grass. She grinned and winked at Mizuiro, who took the hint and stepped out of the van as well, both of them standing on top of the withering Keigo as they surveyed the world around them.

"Wow, Keigo was right, this is awesome!" Mizuiro chuckled, making the teenager beneath him raise his hand and throw him a thumbs up, his face still buried in the grass.

"Yeah, for a change! Hey, Orihime, come check this out! This place is amazing!" Tatsuki called, smiling as Orihime stepped out of the van, her grey eyes going wide.

Orihime stared at the world around her, drawing in a breath. They were standing in a grassy woodland clearing, a camping area surrounded by trees set up right on the beach. Not too far away from them grass met sand, and the sand ran down all the way to the water's edge, the golden sands becoming embraced by the beautiful blue waves as they crashed down upon the shores, the sun glinting off the surface cheerfully. Orihime looked to her left and saw the sandy coast stretch off into the distance, the shore finally meeting rock as the cliffs they had come down from earlier came into view in the distance. And as she turned to her right, she could see the ocean drift off around a corner, indicating that there was a sandy, sheltered cove not too far away from their camp site.

But the best thing about it was that there were no other camp sites nearby. This side of the coast was theirs, and no one would be able to disrupt the souls on their more than a little unusual camping weekend.

Orihime smiled, not knowing just how complete the picture perfect image was with her standing there. The bubbly teenager was dressed in a beautiful white sundress, the light weight dress billowing in the slight breeze. The white was mixed with beautiful red flowers, large lily patterns standing out on the material. Her feet were bare, and the straps of her bikini snaked out from under her dress, hinting to the treasures that lay beneath the material. Her golden auburn hair blew slightly in the salty air, and her eyes sparkled, her lips pulled back in a smile.

Orihime dropped her sky blue bag, and she stepped forwards, her eyes transfixed by the sea and the light reflecting off of it. She reached out a slender hand, her right hand closing on the image of the flashing water, as if she was trying to catch it with her fingers. She held her hand there, her eyes staring out to the horizon, her eyes reflecting the light from the sun.

The red head felt a small arm wrap around her waist, and she looked down slightly, her eyes falling on Rukia's dark amethyst ones. The petite shinigami smiled at her, hugging Orihime to her side fondly.

"You like it don't you? The sea, I mean," Rukia asked, smiling up at her warmly.

"Oh yes! It's beautiful, isn't it? I mean look at it, it's so...um...bright and shiny, with lots of fish in it and-,"

Rukia laughed at that, her arm falling away from Orihime as she hugged herself, trying to still her laughter. Orihime smiled, laughing as well at her own foolishness.

"That was a pretty silly thing to say, wasn't it! I think I should have thought about that more!" the red head laughed, making Rukia chuckle.

"It's fine Orihime, I think that description fits the sea nicely! But I think we should go help the others! They seem to be having trouble getting the stuff out the car," Rukia laughed, rolling her eyes as she nodded her head towards the group of teenagers all trying to get their stuff out the van at once.

Orihime gasped when she saw it, her eyes going wide with horror, "Oh no! They're going to crush my sandwiches if they carry on like that! On no, stop!"

Orihime ran forwards, her significantly too short sundress billowing around her thighs as she ran to the van. Rukia followed close behind, wondering if it would be such a bad thing to find Orihime's sandwiches squashed and inedible.

To Rukia's shock, Orihime was strangely agile, the young woman diving in between the thrashing throng of torsos and arms. She squeezed through the pack and lashed out with her arms, making room for herself as her eyes searched for her bags. She spotted her baby pink bags at the top of the pile, and, with her tongue poking out from the corner of her mouth; she clambered onto the tail gate of the van and lifted herself, ignoring the fact that the others could get a clear view of her bikini bottom from their position below her. She reached out her arms and grabbed her bags, pulling them down from the top of the precarious mound carefully. She latched onto her bags and clambered off the tail gate, diving back through the crowd as she tried to escape from the mass of kicking limbs and frantically searching fingers.

Orihime burst out the other side, and she began to pant, placing her pink bags around her blue one, closing her eyes in relief as she bent over in an effort to catch her breath. She looked up when she heard someone step up to her, and she smiled up at Rukia, pointing proudly to her bags.

"Look! I managed to rescue them! And they seem to be fine, so I guess lunch's on me today!"

Rukia shook her head, smiling at the red head in disbelief, "That was amazing Orihime! When on earth did you become that agile?"

Orihime made a confused sound, placing a finger on her lower lip curiously. She looked back to the kicking throng of teenagers, and then looked down at herself, thinking back to her time in Hueco Mundo. It shocked her as well how much she had learnt to move her body to the level where she could actually keep up with the others. In particular, the battle on the top of the dome had been the most exerting for her, and she could clearly remember all the times she had been forced to dive and pull her body into awkward positions to escape from the raining black, red and emerald ceros and Getsuga Tenshous that had seemed to fall from the sky like rain.

But still, it hadn't occurred to her that her moves were _that _good. She looked down at her flawless skin, and she smiled, turning back to look at Rukia.

"I guess it was just instinct! And besides, we trained together before the Winter War, remember?"

Rukia nodded, her mind already having drifted on to lunch as she eyed the pink bags wearily. She knew that no matter how harmless those flowery pink bags may look, they contained something so dangerous it could openly be compared to something cooked up in the depths of Mayuri Kurotsuchi's infamous laboratories. Rukia could only hope and pray that Orihime would have mercy and spare them from having to eat her idea of a 'tasty' lunch.

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot about that for a moment," Rukia laughed, crossing her arms and looking about. She indicated for Orihime to follow her, and the two women walked over to Ichigo and the others, arriving just in time to see a particularly large bag fall on Ichigo's head.

"Ouch! Damn it, can't you people just wait! Just give me five minutes and I'll get you damn bags down! Gods you guys are such a pain!"

"Stop complaining and just get our stuff down, block head!" Tatsuki growled, reaching over him and grabbing her bag from the pile, making sure to hit Ichigo in the face with it as she dragged it past him. Ichigo let out a growl, clenching his fists at his side comically as he tried to stop himself from exploding on the infuriating woman.

"Humph, if you turn any redder you may have to be hospitalized. Stop fuming, you'll just end up having a heart attack or something," Tatsuki shot at him, marching off to go put her bags on the grass.

"Why I aught ta-"

"She's right you know; it definitely isn't good for your health. You should try to relax more," smirked Uryu, taking his bags neatly from the pile and turning to follow the fighter. Ichigo gaped after them, looking from the place Uryu had been seconds before to where he was now, talking with Tatsuki. He began to splutter comically, throwing wild gestures in the air as he tried to form coherent thoughts in his head.

"Stop pointing like that Ichigo, it's rude!" Rukia muttered, grabbing Ichigo's hand and pulling it down to his side, making Orihime giggle. Ichigo lifted his other arm instead, making wild gestures and pointing from himself to Uryu frantically.

"Am I the only one here who sees what's going on between those two! It's like they belong to some special club or something! It must be called the, "Let's Treat Ichigo Like He's a Total Idiot"' group or something! They haven't stopped coming off at me together since they got in the god damn van! What the hell is up with those two!"

"Ichigo, in case you haven't noticed, we all belong in that group. And I don't see anything odd with what they are doing; they both have a lot in common! Of course they would get along!"

"Bullshit! I've never met two completely different people in my entire life! Are you trying to tell me they _like _each other!"

"Oh shut up, stop trying to put words in my mouth! I said they would get along, not fall head over heels for one another! They just get along because they both see it as their duty to look after Orihime! You're the one who's making assumptions!" Rukia cried, waving their entwined hands in his face. Ichigo let out a huff, folding his arms childishly and turning his head to the side.

"Well, if they're going to act like that they should expect people to make assumptions! It's not my fault!"

"You're just nosey! Now stop sulking and get my bags down, I can't get it from here!" Rukia snapped, pointing to her bags with her free hand.

"Why must I get it! You have limbs, go get it yourself!" Ichigo cried, staring down at her incredulously.

"I can't get it you idiot, my hands are full!" Rukia cried, waving their entwined fingers in his face again.

"Well then let go of my hand, Midget! It's not rocket science now is it!" Ichigo shouted at her comically, waving their hands about in her face in return.

"No way, you let go!"

"What the hell is this, hot potato or something! You let go!" Ichigo cried incredulously, thrusting their hands at her. But Rukia refused, turning herself away from him stubbornly.

"No!"

"Fine then, you won't get your bags, since you want to act like an idiot so badly! We can stand right here and wait for you!" Ichigo cried, turning away as well, still not letting go of the petite girl's slender hand. The two of them stood there muttering to themselves, not quite realizing how ridiculous they looked.

Orihime laughed, watching this from the side. She walked over to the van and chewed on her lower lip, making a show of trying to see which bag was Rukia's. In the end it wasn't too hard to find, her bag being the only one covered in hand drawn Chappie bunnies, the bunnies dancing in little hearts and flowers. Of course with Rukia's drawing skills the drawings looked nothing like bunnies at all, and Orihime found herself staring at the bunnies, unable to make out what they actually were. Eventually she gave up trying to decipher the abnormal hieroglyphics, and she picked up the bags and walked over to the still bickering couple, holding out Rukia's bags triumphantly.

Ichigo turned to see the offered bags, and he smiled kindly at Orihime, making the red head blush and play with the hem of her dress. Ichigo laughed at the sight, and he took Rukia's bags, grinning at her boyishly.

"Thanks Orihime, you're a star! I'm sorry you had to go get them for her!"

"Oh no, it's fine really! And besides, I had fun looking at her...um...pictures! Unfortunately...um...I don't really know what they are supposed to be!" Orihime added, whispering this to the young man nervously as she scratched the back of her head, smiling at her own ignorance.

This made Ichigo hoot with laughter, and he held his sides, laughing uncontrollably. Orihime giggled nervously, watching as the scene unravelled before her.

"You see Midget? Even Orihime doesn't know what your drawings are supposed to be! Look at it! I told you your drawings suck!"

"What! No way, Orihime would never say that, right Orihime! You know what these drawing are of, right!"

"Hehehehe, um...er...well, I..."

Ichigo laughed all the harder, and Rukia turned red with anger, turning to slam her foot down hard on Ichigo's back, kicking him to the floor. She lifted her bags and pointed a shaking finger at her drawings, her eyes flashing almost insanely.

"These are _bunnies_! Ichigo is just being an ass! Surely you can see they're bunnies, Orihime?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Rukia! You're right, how silly of me not to notice!" Orihime cried, waving her arms about nervously as she watched Rukia turn back to her prey, her eyes flashing with rage.

"You see! Even she said she should have seen it! You're an idiot, you know that! A royal class, stupid, numb brained idiot!"

"You do realize that all those words just mean 'idiot' in the end, don't you?" Ichigo smirked wickedly, before his face was hit hard with her foot, the shinigami slammed her heel into his jaw.

"I don't care! You're an idiot, and I'm going to make you pay for insulting my Chappie drawings! You just wish you had artistic talent like I do!"

Ichigo tried to argue, but one would naturally find it hard to argue when they have a foot pressed flat into their face.

Orihime wondered whether or not she should try to break up the fight between the two of them, but she was saved when Tatsuki came up behind her, grabbing Orihime's arm and pulling her off to a spot on the grass where she had left her bags.

"Come on Orihime, we have to set up our tent, unless you want to sleep outside!" Tatsuki said, pointing to the tent bag on the grass.

Orihime gasped, and she looked around, noticing for the first time that the others were already taking out their tents. Even Rukia had stopped kicking Ichigo long enough to fetch their tent bag, and the couple were now beginning to argue about where they would set up their tent, Rukia demanding that they set it up near the sand while Ichigo shouted that they should set it up next to the van.

Chad and Uryu were setting up their tent not too far away, the two of them working in total silence, working in harmony with one another. Mizuiro was trying to set up his tent, but Keigo was too busy dancing and fooling around, the loud and bubbly teenager eventually falling over and landing in a heap in between the canvas.

Orihime smiled, turning back to her friend. "Sure, let's set up our tent together! I hope I won't be as much of a cluts as I usually am!" she laughed, picking up their tent bag and beginning to unpack it.

Ichigo and Rukia had finally come to a happy medium, and the two of them were trying to set up their tent, Rukia being absolutely no help in the matter what so ever.

"How on earth does this... _thing _work?" Rukia muttered, taking out a long set out tent poles. She stared at it in utter confusion, her eyebrows raised comically, looking from the canvas to the peg sceptically.

"You're supposed to put the pieces together and then slip it through the canvas," replied Ichigo, rolling his eyes as he took the pegs from her. Rukia watched as he began to put the pegs together, and her eyes widened comically as he pushed the peg through the loops in the fabric, making the first arc in the tent.

"Amazing...but I must say that is kind of strange," Rukia said darkly, pointing as Ichigo began to put the rest of the pegs together.

"Midget, tents are something that we use here all the time! Have you ever even heard of camping?" Ichigo asked, sticking the next pegs in through the loops and beginning to tie them in place.

"Yes, of course! I just didn't think it would be so complicated, that's all!" Rukia argued, looking at all the different equipment with big eyes.

"Whatever, it's fine. I'll set it up myself," Ichigo said, indicating for her to watch as he began to slam a rock down on the tent pegs, hammering the anchors into the ground none too gently. Rukia ignored him, and she took out the tent cover sheet, figuring that of everything in the bag she would be able to work with that.

But unfortunately, it didn't turn out like that.

Rukia looked at the sheet in her hands, looking from the tent flap and zip to the clips on the ends. A sweat drop rolled down the side of her head, and she made a confused sound, drawing out the sound loudly.

Ichigo was still busy hammering the anchor pegs in, oblivious to her confusion.

The petite shinigami turned the material round and round, feeling her spirits sink. She had no idea what was going on, and Ichigo was doing all the work. She had to help somehow! There was no way she was going to mooch off of anyone the way Renji had! She just had to help him, even if it meant doing it wrong.

So, she would do it wrong.

Rukia draped the tent cover over the body of the tent, aligning the tent flap with the opening in the tent. She took the clip ends and began to try to clip them onto the tent pegs, concentrating as she worked. Unbeknownst to her, Ichigo was watching her, a proud grin on his face.

Rukia stepped back to look at her work, and she felt a pair of arms encircle her, hugging her from behind. She stiffened, and she felt Ichigo's breath against her neck as he nuzzled her, pressing her to his torso.

"Did I put it on correctly? I really don't want to look like an idiot," she asked, smiling as she slipped her arms around his neck, embracing him in return.

"Yes, it's perfect. You don't always have to worry about everything so much, Midget," Ichigo murmured, kissing her arm tenderly. He was about to turn her in his arms for a better view, but both shinigami felt a surge of spiritual pressure, and Ichigo let out a growl, shaking his head.

"Not now, please god not now! They always have the worst damn timing!"

Rukia laughed, and she watched with a smirk as a Soul Gate opened up behind them, the sliding doors opening with a crack. A Hell Butterfly formed and danced in the air, its little black wings flapping as it moved off to go sit on a blade of grass, signalling the arrival of the Soul Reapers.

Although it wasn't really needed, since the motley crew of shinigami that stepped onto the grass were hardly anything but inconspicuous.

Renji stepped out onto the grass, throwing an angered glance over his shoulder as the others fell through after him, the Soul Reapers bickering amongst themselves. He was dressed in red shorts and flip-flops, and his red spiky hair was tied up with a blue band, making him look more like a red pineapple than he would have thought. He carried tons of different multicoloured bags, and his face was painted with a scowl, his lip curled angrily.

"That's the last time I carry your bags for you guys! What on earth did you pack in here? Crap, that's what you packed in! Utter _crap_!"

"Don't make a generalization like that, Renji! My beauty products are not crap, contrary to popular belief!" sniffed Yumichika, flicking his raven black hair regally. He was dressed in a tight fitting lavender shirt and white shorts with black vine patterns running down the sides, and a pair of shades was perched on his head, the white glasses clashing mercilessly with the feathers sprouting from his right eyebrow and lashes.

"Whatever, I don't care! Your 'crap' still weighs a ton!" Renji growled, tossing the bags down onto the grass, much to the displeasure of both Rangiku and Yumichika.

"Don't toss my bags down like that Renji! That's so mean of you! I have expensive stuff in there!" Rangiku cried, running over to her bags and throwing a pouting glance at the red haired Soul Reaper. The bodacious woman was dressed in a thin, revealing beach shoal, the thin colourful material tied around her hips. Her enormous breasts were held up by a barely there purple bikini, her breasts literally sticking out the sides as the unfortunate material tried its best to cover her up. Rangiku's strawberry blond hair flew wildly behind her, curling and winding in blond waves as she bounced about, catching everyone's immediate attention.

"Stop fussing Rangiku, you're making things more complicated than what they have to be," Toshiro ordered coldly, stepping forwards with his hands in his jean pockets. He was the only one in the group not dressed in beach attire, and he wore a loose fitting black top, the dark material matching his tight skinny jeans. The only sign to show that he had actually prepared for the beach were his bare feet, his toes curling distastefully as he shifted on the spot, not liking the lack of shoes to cover his feet. His odd white hair flowed in the sea breeze, and his matching sea green eyes turned to look out at the ocean, briefly admiring the vast expanse of open water.

"You should listen to Captain Hitsugaya, woman! With all this water nearby, you wouldn't want to make him mad," muttered Ikkaku, tapping his sheathed zanpakutou on his shoulder repeatedly. He was dressed in black and yellow shorts, and his feet were covered in old wooden sandals, the wood flapping against his skin mercilessly. His bold head glinted in the sun like a natural beacon, the sun's rays reflecting off of the surface of his skull comically, making more than a few people giggle.

"Aw, Captain would never do that! Don't be such a wet blanket Ikkaku!" Rangiku sang, wagging a finger at him slyly.

"Is that a challenge, Rangiku?" Toshiro growled, cocking a silver eyebrow menacingly. Rangiku jumped at the icy tone of his voice, and she giggled nervously, sweat beading on her brow.

"Honestly, you people just have issues," Renji muttered, rolling his eyes to the heavens, as if he were simply just begging for patience.

"Ha, you're one to talk Renji! You're just as hopeless as they are!" grinned Ichigo, waving a free hand at the Soul Reaper wickedly, his other arm draped around Rukia lazily.

Renji turned, and his grin widened at the sight of his two friends. He stepped forwards and shook hands with Ichigo, smirking right back at the strawberry haired youth before embracing Rukia warmly, pulling away to look down at her seriously.

"I still can't believe you're sticking with this asshole, Rukia! Is he giving you any trouble?"

"Hey, what the hell are you trying to pull!" Ichigo cried, trying to force his way in between the two lifelong friends. But the two of them just grinned, ignoring Ichigo completely.

"No, its fine Renji, I think I'll hang on to this one some more! Besides, it's better off this way!" Rukia smiled, grabbing Ichigo and pulling him to her side, making Ichigo cough and hack from the tight hold she had around his neck.

"Whatever you say, Rukia. Just don't get carried away!" Renji warned, eyeing the two of them wickedly.

"Me, get carried away! Perish the thought!" laughed Rukia, making Ichigo roll his eyes sarcastically.

There was a shriek behind them, and they turned around just in time to see Rangiku tackle Orihime, the sunset haired young woman letting out a cry as the other busty woman tried to hug her to death, squeezing the air out of Orihime's lungs. Tatsuki could only stare in horror and shout lamely as Orihime turned different shades of blue and purple, her eyes popping out of her skull.

"R-Ran-giku...c-can't b-breathe!" Orihime choked, waving her arms and hitting her friend's shoulders weakly, blackness beginning to chew at the corners of her vision.

"Oh Orihime, I missed you so much! I missed my little shopping buddy! All I could think about were all the movies we could watch! Oh, and I couldn't stop thinking about all the delicious food you used to give me! It made me want to cry!"

"Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto, let go of her this instant! Can't you see the poor girl can't breathe!" ordered Toshiro angrily, his icy voice cracking like a whip through the air.

Rangiku blinked, and she drew back, pulling Orihime out from between her overly-large breasts. Orihime took in a desperate breath, her eyes clouded and her head spinning from the return of oxygen to her lungs. She brought her hands up to her neck and coughed, stroking her skin to get the blood flowing again.

"Oh Orihime, I'm so sorry! I didn't know I was hurting you! I'm sorry!" Rangiku begged, bouncing up and down on the spot, making her breasts move dramatically. She wrung her hands and pouted, but Orihime wave her hands dismissively.

"It's fine Rangiku, really! It was an accident, I forgive you! I missed you too! And I've really wanted to show you all the new dishes I've made! I even brought some of my Ultimate Super Sandwiches for us to all eat together!" Orihime sang, waving her arms to her pink bags extravagantly. Rangiku clapped her hands in delight and cooed over the bags, her eyes sparkling as she tried to guess which one contained her 'delightful' sandwiches.

Her Captain on the other hand was less than enthusiastic. Toshiro knew firsthand what Orihime was capable of, and he had been forced repeatedly to eat her dishes while living in both busty women's company.

The little Captain in question began to sweat, his face turning green as he backed away from the two women slowly, his hands raised slightly in attempts to ward them off. Yumichika laughed at the sight, grinning at the usually stern boy prodigy.

"What's the matter Captain? You've just turned a most _delightful _shade of green, you know that? You seem to be feeling somewhat off!"

"If you don't keep your mouth shut, _you'll _be the one receiving the first course, Yumichika. Do you remember what I told you about her _cooking_?" Toshiro hissed, turning his glare on the feminine man angrily.

All the colour drained from Yumichika's face, and the man began to babble, claiming to have the sudden urge to go help Ikkaku set up their tent for the evening. With that he shot off like a rocket, calling to his bald friend and demanding for him to save some tent pegs for him.

"Damn, was it just me, or did you guys hear Yumichika actually offer to help someone?" Renji asked incredulously, his tattooed eyebrows raised high in disbelief.

"You're not the only one, Pineapple Head, we all heard it," Ichigo confirmed, scratching the back of his head as he too stared off after the male officer, his eyes wide with shock.

"Well, there goes the entire bloody weekend out the window. It's going to snow now, you just watch!" Renji muttered, turning to his bag to search for his tent. He dug around in it for what felt like forever, before turning back to the others; sweat beading on the side of his head.

"Ah...yeah...shit," he muttered, staring off in the direction of Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"You're bunking with them, aren't you?" Rukia smirked, folding her arms and grinning at the man triumphantly.

"Yeah...I am so screwed," Renji muttered, shaking his head in defeat.

"Well, go help them set up the tent then damn it! Don't mooch off of them too!" Ichigo shouted, hitting Renji over the head angrily. Renji was about to shout back at the strawberry haired boy in return, but he was cut off as they heard a loud, frustrated cry coming from the other side of the clearing.

Renji swore viciously, and he ran off to go help the frustrated duo, not quite prepared for what he was about to face.

He passed Uryu and Chad, the two teenagers turning to watch him go. Uryu made a disinterested noise, pushing his glassed up his nose as he and Chad reached Ichigo. Chad threw a thumb over his shoulder, looking down at the others through his mass of curly chocolate brown hair.

"What's up with them?" he asked dully, his voice barely rising from its endless monotone.

"Oh, you mean Renji and the others? They're trying to set up a tent," Ichigo said, leaning around the two of them to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on. Rangiku and Orihime were showing each other their new bikinis, Orihime blushing enormously as the blond woman showed off way to much skin to be called even remotely appropriate, while Tatsuki sat on the grass in front of their new tent, watching the two busty women, her eyes wide with horror. Further on down the line they could see Karin and Yuzu sitting on a picnic blanket, Yuzu cutting up food for the barbeque as Karin read a comic, the darker twin not bothering to help with dinner. Isshin was setting up the barbecue not too far from his daughters, pouring way too much charcoal into the basin than what was really necessary, the man grinning happily, his face painted with a thick layer of white sunscreen.

Further down the line were Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika, the men bickering amongst themselves. Yumichika was brandishing a set of tent pegs, the pieces clipped together, forming a long, wicked whipping pole. Ikkaku held a similar, although much shorter pole, and he was thrashing it about, trying to figure out if the tent pegs were actually important or not. Renji stood to the side, staring in disbelief and utter confusion at the tent canvas in his hands, his tattooed eyebrows raised high on his forehead. He looked at the tent pieces as if they were part of life's greatest question, turning the pieces round and round, looking from one peg to the other with a look of utter angered hopelessness.

"You people cut up Hollows like they're made of butter, you run around protecting the souls of the dearly departed, but somehow, you can't even set up a measly tent," muttered Uryu, trying hard not to smirk at their childish ignorance.

"Hey, it's much harder than it looks!" Rukia growled, folding her arms childishly as she watched Renji lay the tent base down, the unfortunate shinigami accidently laying the tent base upside down, the man only releasing his mistake as he tried to find the loops, tent pegs in hand, a baffled look creeping across his face.

"Ichigo, go help them!" Rukia demanded, turning to the grinning young man as he watched the others fail miserably.

"What, why me!"

"Because I said so! And you're the only one who can help them! They'll be stuck there all day if you don't do something!" Rukia demanded, pointing a finger from him to the floundering Renji, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Alright, alright, I'll go!" Ichigo muttered, giving in as he marched off to go assist Renji. As he was about to pass Orihime and Rangiku, the blonde Lieutenant stepped in front of him, smiling brightly.

"Oh Ichigo, there you are! How's my favourite substitute Soul Reaper doing? Listen, I'm going to be camping with the Captain this evening, and I was just wondering if you could be a lovely, handsome star for me and set up my tent! Pretty please?" she asked sweetly, pulling her bikini strap down her shoulder, making Ichigo's eyes widen.

"If you want something done, ask those two!" he said, pointing frantically over his shoulder as he had a mild panic attack, trying not to look at Rangiku's assets as she looked around him, her one finger coming up to her lower lip thoughtfully.

"Oh, thank you Ichigo! I'll go see what I can do!" she sang, grabbing Orihime and pulling her along with her as she advanced upon Uryu and Chad, her hand already going for her bikini strap.

Ichigo could only guess what would happen next, and he couldn't help but feel sorry for the Quincy, despite everything that had happened.

"What on earth is that woman trying to do?" Tatsuki asked, standing up and falling in next to Ichigo as they made their way to Renji and the others, the fit young woman glancing over her shoulder doubtfully.

"Trust me, you don't want to know," Ichigo muttered, shaking his head at the memory of the last time Rangiku had tried to ask him for something.

From the tone in Ichigo's voice, Tatsuki decided it would be best to leave the subject behind them.

Ichigo and his childhood friend reached the group of bickering men, and without a word Ichigo grabbed the tent and turned it the right way round, straightening up and beginning to snatch the tent pegs from each Soul Reaper, throwing them dirty looks.

"What the hell are you doing, Strawberry!" Renji growled, before he was rounded on by the other spiky haired youth, Ichigo waving the tent pegs in Renji's face unceremoniously.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping you idiots learn to put two and two together! Honestly, does this _look _like rocket science to you!" Ichigo huffed, waving a tent peg and pointing at the canvas.

"Hey, it's a hell of a lot harder than it looks!" Renji cried, mimicking Rukia perfectly, trying to defend their honour. Unfortunately for them, it was a little bit too late for that.

"Well don't go and argue with me! I don't want to hear your whining! Just keep your mouth shut and accept my humble generosity!" Ichigo growled, turning to stab the canvas with the tent pegs, repeating the process that he had done with his and Rukia's tent not too long ago.

"It's not humble generosity if you put it that way," Yumichika muttered, folding his arms and flicking his hair as he looked away, trying to look decent despite his embarrassing predicament.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, trying to resist the urge to face palm himself.

_This is going to be a very, very long weekend...maybe if we're lucky something even remotely entertaining will happen..._

Unfortunately for him, he will deeply regret having this thought later.

* * *

Orihime sat on the grass, hungrily devouring her sandwiches. Rangiku sat next to her, a paper plate piled high with sandwiches in between them, both busty women enjoying their lunch. Toshiro had long time disappeared, shooting off down the beach in a pair of shorts the minute he saw the pink bag being opened. They hadn't seen the boy since then, but the thin sheet of ice on the ocean not too far out on the surface hinted to the fact that he was swimming. To him, anything was better than having to eat those sandwiches.

And he was right to be afraid, since Orihime's sandwiches were made of a mixture of Wasabi, ketchup, cheese, chicken and chocolate sauce. How she could even think of stomaching it, no one knew. But she appeared to be relishing it, and as long as she kept her food away from the others, they didn't seem to care.

The others had finally been able to set up their tents, much to Ichigo's evident relief. The only people who didn't have tents were Isshin and his twin daughters, who would be sleeping in the van. Ichigo and Rukia had been offered places in the so called 'Happy-Go-Lucky Family Van', but both had politely declined the offer. Well, at least one of them had done it politely.

The sun was beginning to move towards the horizon, and the group had decided that they would engage in last minute beach activity after their late lunch. Orihime was so excited she could barely contain herself, and she stuffed one sandwich after the other down her throat, watching the others eagerly as they ate their hotdogs, the red head waiting eagerly for them to get up and make their way to the beach.

Rangiku grabbed the last sandwich before Orihime could, and she ate it in one go, a blob of Wasabi splashed across the corner of her mouth. The woman giggled and licked it off, and she looked down at the empty plate, laughing good naturedly.

"Look Orihime, we finished it in one go! Oh well, as long as it all goes to the right places!" she sang, sticking out her chest happily, as if she was excited by the prospect of her bra size rocketing up a couple of sizes.

Orihime laughed nervously, trying not to imagine Rangiku bigger than she already was.

The two women stood up, and Rangiku called to the others in a less than charming manner, charging into the group as they stared up at her, hotdogs in hand.

"You guys had better hurry up! It's already late afternoon and we haven't even touched the sand yet!" she cried, folding her arms childishly and pouting. Orihime nodded eagerly, also wanting to get out onto the sands.

"Well, excuse us for not eating as...ruggedly as you," Yumichika sniffed, making Rangiku's lip curl angrily.

"What did you just say to me?" she cried, grabbing Yumichika and shouting at him, her ego deeply bruised.

"Would you people stop arguing! Honestly, it's wearing me down to my last nerve! Come on Orihime, we can go get the ball so long!" Tatsuki said kindly, climbing to her feet, setting her empty plate aside. Orihime clapped her hands in delight, and the two of them ran off to get the beach ball from the van.

Ichigo and the others sighed, climbing to their feet and stretching. Rukia remained in her seat, her eyes closed as she relaxed.

"Aren't you coming Rukia?" Ichigo asked, his eyebrows raised questioningly. Rukia shook her head, her eyes still closed.

"Its fine, I don't want to swim today anyway. I'll come play with you guys later."

Ichigo and Renji turned to look at one another, and a thought shot through their minds in unison. Wicked, evil grins spread across their faces, and their hands snaked out, creeping up to the petite girl slowly.

Rukia let out a shriek of horror as Ichigo and Renji grabbed her, hoisting her up into their arms. Rukia screamed her lungs out, her eyes wide, her cheeks painted red as she blushed, feeling Ichigo and Renji tug off her sundress, revealing her little royal blue bikini underneath. The others looked up to see what the commotion was about, and Rangiku began to laugh, hugging her sides. Keigo began to run around the camp site, becoming way too over excited, cheering the teenagers on as they dragged a kicking and screaming Rukia down to the beach.

"Put me down _now_! Ichigo! Renji! I'm going to kill both of you for this, you hear me! Byakuya is going to skin the both of you when he hears about this!"

Ichigo and Renji just laughed at that, and, with wicked grins on their faces, began to make their way towards the ocean.

The scream that rang across the camp site was loud enough to shatter glass. The others could only watch as Ichigo dived into the ocean, hugging Rukia to him, Renji diving in soon afterwards to join the fray.

This was the event that officially kicked off the beach weekend. The others soon followed suit, Tatsuki kicking the beach ball down onto the sands. Two teams soon formed, and they began to play a game of volley ball, using a net that was supplied by Isshin. Rangiku laid out a beach towel on the sand, lathering herself in tanning oil and laying herself out, glad to catch the afternoon sun. Yumichika soon followed suite, laying down a towel next to her, not even bothering to ask as he borrowed her tanning oil. Chad, Ikkaku, Mizuiro, Tatsuki and, to their shock, Uryu, engaged in a game of volleyball, Uryu showing off his speed and agility to the others. Keigo, being Keigo, ran around like a mad thing, taking part in different activities, admiring the girls in their bikinis more often than anything else.

Orihime smiled, sitting comfortably on the sand, building a sand castle with buckets she had brought along. Her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth curiously as she worked, and she leaned back to admire her work, smiling as she made a large dome in the middle, little sand pillars circling the magnificent dome. She patted the shapes down and grinned, putting sea shells on the top of each pillar as a last form of decoration.

But, she couldn't rid herself of the feeling that something was missing. She folded her arms and cocked her head to the side before standing up and looking at it from different angles, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully as she moved about, looking comically professional.

Finally, it hit her like a speeding train.

"Oh no, I forgot the moat!" she cried, her eyes wide. She dropped down to her knees and began to dig, scooping at the sand with her hands ecstatically. Soon after her efforts had begun she was finished, and she smiled, finishing off the castle by placing a shell over the moat, forming a makeshift drawbridge. She took a stick and wrote the words "Orihime's Palace" in the sand, drawing little hearts around it before stepping back to admire her work.

"Perfect, just perfect! I love it!" she laughed, taking out a camera from her bag to take a picture of it. She smiled, and then turned to the others, beginning to take pictures for her photo album at home. She took a picture of Yumichika and Rangiku, the two egocentric officers posing for the pictures, their bodies already glowing from the tanning oil. She took one of Yuzu and Karin smiling arm in arm, the two girls standing over engraved words in the sand that formed, "Our Dad is an Idiot", Isshin making a sand angel just below it. She took pictures of the teams playing volleyball; the red head laughing at a picture of Keigo's face getting hit by the ball, Tatsuki punching the air in glee. She even got one of Uryu diving for the ball, his face twisted in a triumphant grin as he prepared to score a goal.

Orihime decided she would take pictures of Toshiro when he finally decided to stop hiding in the water.

The sunset haired youth ran over to the water's edge, searching for Ichigo, Rukia and Renji. She found them, and she smiled, taking a picture of Renji and Ichigo wrestling in the waves, the two of them kicking and splashing about, Rukia laughing from the side lines, her hair plastered to her face as she watched her boyfriend and best friend get even with one another.

Orihime smiled, and she began to look through her pictures, admiring all of them, not even thinking of deleting any of them. She laughed heartily at a photo of Keigo buried in the sand, only his laughing head sticking out, the words, "He Just Wouldn't Die!" engraved in the sand below him. To add effect, Tatsuki and Mizuiro were standing over him with mini shovels, each with one foot resting on Keigo's sand covered chest, the young teenagers grinning and throwing thumbs up to the camera lens with their free hands.

Orihime was busily shifting through her photos when she felt a pair of wet hands grab her, and she let out a little shriek of fright, her eyes going wide as she spun around. Ichigo grinned down at her, and he pointed to the ocean, nodding his head wickedly.

"It's your turn Orihime! You've been wondering around the water's edge for _way_ too long!"

Orihime waved her hands nervously, her eyes wide, "Wait, wait! Please just let me get my dress off first! I don't want my things to get wet!"

Ichigo grinned, and with a smirk, began to count.

The young red head slipped out of her dress, pulling it down and wrapping it securely around her camera. She placed her hairpins in the bundle and placed it safely just above the tide line, making sure to move quickly.

Ichigo reached a rounded number, and when he saw that she was finished he nodded to her, making Renji chuckle as they both ran to her.

But Orihime would not give in that easily.

Laughing cheerfully, she dodged them, dancing out the way at the last minute. With a shriek of delight she ran off down the beach, her ample chest heaving as she ran, her breasts covered by a beautiful white and red boob-tube bikini, the skimpy outfit matching her dress perfectly. Ichigo and Renji followed close behind her, becoming frustrated easily when they realized just how hard she would be to catch.

Orihime, to their shock, made a beeline for the water, and just before they could grab her she dived into the waves, arching herself gracefully as she slipped neatly into the ocean, a small splash of water rising up as she disappeared, the little droplets dancing and glinting in the sunlight.

Under the cool water, Orihime opened her eyes, looking around her. The ocean shone a blue-green colour, sunlight penetrating the water surrounding her, the rays of light dancing on the surface as the small waves went by. She looked down beneath her, watching the water grow darker and colder, the sandy bottom sloping downwards. Thankfully the water wasn't too deep where she was, and she twirled in the water, her red hair fanning out around her, looking almost like sunset wings behind her as she swam. She danced in the water like an angel, her creamy skin moving as she arched herself and twirled, putting on a show that no one would ever see. Who she was dancing for, only she knew. But in her mind she thought he would never be able to see it. So in the end, she decided she was doing it for herself, doing it completely on a whimsy.

Orihime looked around as she slowed to a stop and her deep grey eyes admired the shining ocean-green water around her, one thought drifting through her mind, warming her to the core as she began to swim to the surface, her lungs screaming for air.

_This is what freedom feels like...bitter sweet..._

_

* * *

_

The sun set in the distance, and the skies turned orange, the cloudless sky lighting up in a visual array of warm, fiery colours. The world was warmed for the last time before night would creep in, cooling the world once more for the day to come.

On the sandy shoreline the castle stood, small and proud, its sides brittle but soft. The dome stood regally in the centre, surrounded by its great pillars, shells decorating the tops of each one.

But, naturally, this castle could not stand forever.

The tide rushed in, and the little moat soon filled and caved in from the water, the sand turning soggy and unstable. The pillars became eaten up by the ocean, eventually collapsing in on themselves and disappearing in the waves. The dome soon followed; large chunks of it disappearing and falling away, until the once proud castle was gone, completely swallowed up by the waves.

A single sea shell was all that remained, the shiny white shell sticking up firmly in the sand. It remained there, buried in the sand, the tip of it pointing skyward, stubbornly ignoring the mighty ocean that tried so desperately to claim it for itself.

This is what happens when you build your castle out of sand. You can put as much sweat and tears into it as you like, but eventually, the tide will come in and steal it from you once again.

Because no matter which way you look at it, sand simply isn't strong enough.

"_Well his American Dream is beginning to seem__  
__More and more like a nightmare__  
__With every passing day__  
__"Daddy, can you come to my game?"__  
__"Oh Baby, please don't work late."__  
__Another wasted weekend__  
__And they are slipping away_

_'Cause he works all day and lies awake at night__  
__He tells them things are getting better__  
__Just take a little more time_

_So he works and he builds with his own two hands__  
__And he pours all he has in a castle made with sand__  
__But the wind and the rain are comin' crashing in__  
__Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands__  
__His kingdom stands_

_He used to say, "Whoever dies with the most toys wins"__  
__But if he loses his soul, what has he gained in the end__  
__I'll take a shack on the rock__  
__Over a castle in the sand_

_Now he works all day and cries alone at night__  
__It's not getting any better__  
__Looks like he's running out of time_

_'Cause he worked and he built with his own two hands__  
__And he poured all he had in a castle made with sand__  
__But the wind and the rain are coming crashing in__  
__Time will tell just how long his kingdom stands__  
__His kingdom stands_

_All they really wanted was you__  
__All they really wanted was you__  
__All they really wanted was you"_

Casting Crowns – American Dream

* * *

**Now, some of you may be wondering what this song has to do with UlquiHime. Trust me, I don't blame you! But it feels like a UlquiHime song to me! It reminds me so much of Ulquiorra's struggle to follow Aizen and to protect Los Noches, and his battle to keep Orihime with him, but he went at it all the wrong way, and eventually he lost everything, hence the chorus of the song tying in with UlquiHime. I just find it so moving, and at the end of the song, when the words "All they really wanted was you" fades off into black, I always see Ulquiorra kneeling in the sand in his Segunda Etapa form, and he is reaching out to Orihime desperately as she is pulled through the Garganta by her friends, her hand also reaching out to him in an effort to 'save their castle in the sand'. (if you guys understand what I mean when I say that. The castle in the sand is there relationship that was built on unstable grounds)**

**Also, as much as this chapter may feel like a Filler, it isn't! There is some very important information in there, I promise you! :) You just have to read between the lines!**

**I must admit though, something doesn't feel right to me...I have no idea what it is, and I've read over this chapter three times already, although I really can't find what is wrong...something just FEELS off about it. Please in the reviews could you guys tell me if this chapter is alright? No OOCness or anything horrid like that? Please warn me if there is!**

**Thank you so much to ashurahime for helping me out and providing me with all the constructive criticism! I really appreciate it! I hope I can live up to your standards! :)**

**Also, a reader on DA has drawn a Fan Art for this story on Deviant art! It is a art piece based on the drawing Orihime got in trouble for in the previous chapter! If any of you would like to check it out, here's what you type in! '+preview+ Don't Leave Me' in the DA search box, and it was done by HanyouInny, so try to search for it that way (I would send you a link, but obviously doesn't like Links, as we all know, so you will have to search for it manually! Damn...**

**The art work that the artist made isn't actually finished, this is just what they have done so far! But still, I love it, and I can not wait to see the finished product! :)**

**Thank you so much to the artist, HanyouInny, for drawing this! :D**

**Right, please remember to review, and warn me if something is actually off about this chapter (I hope I'm just being paranoid!)! The help and support is always appreciated! :)**

**Bye bye...for now! I will try to update the next chapter ASAP! And it will be over flowing with beautiful UlquiHime moments, I promise! :D**


	4. 3 My Knight in Whitest Armor

**Lol, from the title I'm sure you can all see what this chapter is about! So I'm not going to keep you guys waiting! :D**

**READ, PEOPLE, READ! (dances around the room waving green flags) YOU CAN DO IT!**

**Sorry for that, my excitement ran away with me a little there! :) I'm just so happy! Wow, am I actually shaking! Oh my gosh, talk about over excitement! 0_0**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters in it (no, not even Ulquiorra, to my immense distaste)! If I did own Bleach, you all would know about it! (waves her UlquiHime and IchiRuki flags wildly) :D**

**My Knight in Whitest Armor**

"_How can you see into my eyes_

_like open doors?  
Leading you down into my core  
where I've become so numb_

_Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold  
until you find it there and lead it back home_

_(Wake me up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(Save me)_  
_call my name and save me from the dark_  
_(Wake me up)_  
_bid my blood to run_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_before I come undone_  
_(Save me)_  
_save me from the nothing I've become"_

The skies of Hueco Mundo were dark over head, the clouds thin and sick, hanging still in the dead sky. The large, reversed crescent moon watched the empty world below it; a silent, glowing guardian that gave off a brilliant, pure white glow, making the desert sands whiter than they already were. But the pale, endless desert was nothing compared to the huge ivory palace that stood at its centre, the dome dwarfing anything that stood up to it.

That included the huge green and red mushroom clouds that exploded at the top of it, the explosions racking the air mercilessly. Waves of air rushed out across the desert, sending endless ripples across the surface, like waves in a white ocean.

Orihime Inoue ignored everything around her, running as fast as she could to the centre of the battle. Debris flew through the air around her, and she cried out in pain, feeling a sharp rock slice at her bare shoulder. She erected a barrier just as another explosion racked through the air, a red and white cero engulfing her completely. Orihime stared at the energy in horror, her eyes wide, feeling a certain reitsu shudder under the pressure.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Orihime cried, falling to her knees from the immense Spiritual pressure that fell upon her. She gasped and shock, screwing her eyes shut as she battled to keep her shields up, knowing that the cero would fry her to a crisp if it got through her barriers.

The cero finally faded, and Orihime got shakily to her feet, looking around her desperately. She dropped her shields and began to run again, her eyes wide with fear and worry. Her light feet pounded against the white roof as she ran, and her tattered dress flowed out around her, the torn edges snagging on rocks as she ran by. But she ignored it, realizing just how close to the battle she was. She couldn't care less about her dress; she would run to them naked if it came down to that. She had to save them, she had to stop them! If it carried on like this, they would both kill each other, fighting over her and everything they stood for.

She wouldn't let them die, she _couldn't_! And she wouldn't let anyone else get hurt because of her own actions. It was her burden to bear, not theirs! They didn't deserve to suffer at her expense!

Orihime let out a scream as more reitsu exploded around her, and she fell to the ground, feeling one of her ribs crack under the strain. She fought back tears, trying to climb to her feet, but the Spiritual Pressure pressed her down harder, compressing her lungs and pinning her to the roof. The fiery red head gasped for breath, feeling like a fish on concrete, her eyes wide as she realized what was happening. She kicked and pawed at the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks, trying desperately to suck in air. But no air came, and soon blackness began to claw at the corners of her vision, her body beginning to go limp as her limbs stopped moving, her chest beginning to heave and tremble.

But suddenly, two firm hands grabbed her, and she felt herself get lifted off the ground, two arms cradling her. She heard wings beating at the air, and she blinked, trying to clear away the blackness in her vision. Soon the pressure lessened, and she took in a breath of air, coughing and hacking as her lungs finally filled with precious oxygen. The blackness finally faded away, and she looked up, feeling claws digging into her arms.

Ulquiorra held her to his chest, flying as far away from the battle as he could. His eyes were narrowed slightly in frustration, his head looking this way and that as he searched. He found a clear spot and dived for it, looking behind him momentarily to search for his opponent. He placed Orihime on the ground carefully as he touched down, his wings spread to keep his balance.

Orihime frowned. That wasn't right. Why was he using his wings for balance? Surely he had legs, why wasn't he standing?

She looked down, and felt her heart fall right through her shoes.

Ulquiorra's left leg was gone, a toothpick sized bone being all that remained. Ulquiorra tried not to put his weight on it, but each time he moved his leg would take on some weight, and his eyes would widen fractionally, his nose sucking in a shaky breath. Orihime felt her lip tremble, and she reached out, trying to touch his clawed foot.

"Ulquiorra…what happened! Your leg-,"

"Do not let it concern you, Woman. Stay right where you are, you'll die if you get any closer," he ordered coldly, turning away from her. But Orihime tried to grab him, pleading desperately with him. She knew what was going to happen next, and it would kill her to see it again.

"Don't go, please! You can't do this on your own! You'll kill each other!"

Ulquiorra froze, and he turned to look at her, his eyes wide. For a moment his control faltered, and his face twisted in shock, his lips parting slightly.

"…What did you just say, Woman?" he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned to her completely, and Orihime felt hot tears stream down her cheeks, making dirty trails from the ash and soot that covered her face like make-up.

"I said don't go…I can't bear to see you get hurt like this! Look at you! I…I..._I can't let you kill each other_!" she cried brokenly, lowering her head as she buried her face in her hands. Sobs racked her shoulders, and she spoke through her hands, saying what she never had the chance to say.

"I-I c-can't l-l-let you d-die! I c-can't! N-not again! Please…"

Ulquiorra stared at her in utter shock, his pupils tiny as he tried to comprehend what he had just heard. He took a shaky step back on his good leg, his muscles going limp, his throat clenching painfully. An all too familiar burning sensation clawed at his chest, and he reached up a furred hand, touching his Hollow Hole in awe. He looked down at it for a moment, tearing his eyes away from Orihime briefly to look at his gaping chest, confused by the pain and sensations cursing through his body.

After a moment he lowered himself, sucking in a breath as he felt his broken leg seer painfully from the movement. Slowly, with a shaky hand he reached out to Orihime, moving a lock of her auburn hair aside, letting it breeze through his fingers. Orihime looked up, tears still streaming down her cheeks as her watery grey eyes met his green and gold ones. Ulquiorra's ebony, clawed fingers trailed down the sunset lock of hair to her ear, and they moved across her skin to the tears that dripped down her cheeks. He touched one tentatively, before swiping his thumb across them, wiping the tears away. He left his fingers there before letting his hand cup her cheek, the Arrancar marveling at the softness of it.

"Don't cry, Woman," he murmured, his expression containing barely there hints of emotion. But they were there, and for Orihime that was all that mattered. She could see the pain and longing on his face, and it made more tears seep from her eyes, her tears dampening the soft black fur on his hand.

"How can I not, Ulquiorra? I can't bear to see this happen again!"

Ulquiorra froze, her words sounding odd to his ears. What did she mean by _again_? Why would she say something like that?

"Woman, what do you-?"

But he was suddenly cut off as they felt a surge of reitsu behind them, and Orihime cried out, feeling the Spiritual Pressure once again come crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. Ulquiorra stiffened, his hand still holding her cheek, before he spun around, using his wings to lift himself off the ground.

Hollow Ichigo stood behind them, and he let out an ear splitting roar, animalistic anger taking over him at the sight of his prey. Ulquiorra glared at him, determination making his eyes harden and darken wickedly, all tenderness gone from his expression.

"Get back," he ordered coldly, his glowing Lanza Del Relampago forming in his right hand. His fingers closed around it, and he moved quickly, raising the glowing lance to bring it down on the monster before him. But the Vasto Lordes simply blocked it with his hand, grabbing hold of it and crushing it effortlessly. Green energy exploded from the broken spear, the energy blasting outwards in a terrifying wave.

Orihime erected her shields around her, watching in horror as Ulquiorra fell back, staggering from the massive shockwave of energy that had just hit him full force. His eyes widened as Ichigo lowered his head like a bull, a glowing red cero forming at the tip of his ivory horns.

Ulquiorra shook himself, and he looked in Orihime's direction briefly, his eyes widening even more when he saw her horrified expression. He stared at her for a moment longer before turning back to Hollow Ichigo, his eyes narrowing in anger. He lunged forwards, raising both his hands, a new green spear in his right hand, the other raised in a fist.

"Don't underestimate me! I will not fall to the same attack again!" he growled, trying to move Ichigo away from Orihime. He couldn't let him use such an attack so close to her! If that cero went off so close to the woman, not even her shields would be able to protect her. There'd be nothing left of her but ashes! He wouldn't let this worthless trash hurt her, not over his dying body.

With a growl, Ulquiorra stabbed at the cero, not even stopping as the two of them collided full force, their bodies crashing into one another with a crack. Both Hollows were sent sprawling, the two blasts exploding around them in a huge, fiery mushroom cloud as Ichigo's cero consumed the blast from Ulquiorra's Lanza, fuelling it and turning it into a huge column of fire. The two raging Hollows were lost in the blaze, but the battle still carried on despite their surroundings, the two of them clawing at one another.

Orihime could only watch, her eyes wide with horror, her body trembling uncontrollably as she tried to suck in a deep enough breath, a scream building up in her throat. She watched as the fire exploded around her, watched in horror as Ulquiorra's beautiful green energy was swallowed up by the flames. She stiffened as a victorious, animalistic roar shook the air, and her pupils shrunk in panic, realizing what had happened.

And then she saw it. Ulquiorra's body lay not too far away from her, his body broken beyond repair. Blood seeped from his wounds, forming a pool around him, his hair and fur matted with it. His body racked with spasms, and he tried to lift himself, but he simply didn't have the strength to do it. His arm shivered and shook briefly before it collapsed, and he fell back to the ground again with a wet, sickening thud.

The flames subsided, and Hollow Ichigo came into view, his black Zanpakutou dripping with blood. The monstrous form of her friend stared down at his fallen opponent, glaring at him cruelly and silently. Orihime watched in fear as he began to advance on Ulquiorra, his sword tip pointing straight for Ulquiorra's back.

It took a split second for Orihime to react. All rational thought left her completely, and she ran from her safe spot, lunging towards them desperately.

"Ichigo stop! Please, don't hurt him anymore! He doesn't deserve this! Please!" she cried, flinging herself at them. She collapsed onto the ground at Ichigo's feet, and she scrabbled across the ground, trying to reach Ulquiorra. But a cold hand grabbed the back of her dress, and Orihime screamed, feeling herself get dragged across the ground and lifted into the air.

Ichigo turned her in his grasp to stare at her, his empty eye sockets dark and emotionless. He stared into Orihime's face, all sanity and rational thought gone.

But Orihime couldn't give up hope.

"Please, Ichigo…don't do this! I'm sorry I did this to you, I'm so sorry! But please come back, please! You don't want to do this!" she begged, feeling the grip on her dress tighten. But she ignored it, begging and pleading with him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

And then she heard it, those words she hated the most.

"Must…save…must…save. I must save you," the Hollow growled out, his voice rough and animalistic. Orihime shook her head desperately, more tears flowing than ever before.

"No! I don't want to be saved! I don't want this! Stop this, please! You're hurting me! Don't justify murder with words like those!"

There was no reaction to her words. Ichigo just stared at her, unmoving, not even able to comprehend what she had just said.

But someone else could.

There was a strangled cough behind them, and Orihime looked back, her eyes shivering with tears as she saw Ulquiorra clench his fist, beginning to lift himself off the ground. He rested the weight of his upper body on his arms, and he looked up, his eyes cold and determined. His eyes met hers, and Orihime shook her head slowly, silently begging for him to keep his mouth shut. But Ulquiorra ignored her, looking into her eyes a second longer before looking around her, his eyes filling with anger at the sight of her attacker.

"Put the woman down. We're not finished yet," he stated coldly, not a hint of pain in his deep, emotionless voice.

Orihime began to shake again, and she shook her head, turning back to Ichigo just in time to see him let go of her, letting her fall to the ground. She collapsed in a heap on the cold roof, and she lifted herself shakily, panicked sobs escaping her lips.

"N-n-no! Stop! Don't do this!" she screamed in between her sobs, trying desperately to follow Ichigo. But she couldn't follow him, and she watched in desperation as Ichigo advanced on her fallen ward, his sword raised execution style.

Ulquiorra didn't move, watching as Ichigo towered over him. His eyes remained narrowed as he glared up at him, staring death straight in the face.

"Kill me, get it over with. I have no reason to live now that you've defeated me. Do it!"

Orihime screamed in denial, clawing at the dirt as she watched Ichigo raise his blade. She tried to summon her Shun Shun Rikka, begging desperately for a shield, but none came to her aid. Her fairies could not save her this time.

As the blade came down, Ulquiorra looked at her, his eyes softening as he stared into her eyes. Orihime choked on a sob, cherishing the last moment she'd have to see those eyes.

And then it happened. The blade stabbed itself down in between Ulquiorra's shoulder blades, right above his Hollow Hole, and his eyes widened, his lips parting slightly. Blood filled his lungs, and he coughed, making the most horrifying gurgling sound that made Orihime want to get sick.

The teenager could only watch as two tears leaked from his eyes, looking black as they ran over his tear marks. His breathing stopped, and after a few seconds, Ulquiorra collapsed to the dirt, blood running down his chin, his eyes going glassy in a death stare.

Silence reigned over the roof of Las Noches, before a deafening shriek cut through the air, the sound echoing all across the endless desert.

* * *

Orihime shot up in her sleeping bag, a scream dying on her lips. She looked around herself frantically, trying to remember where she was, her body racked with shivers. Sweat beaded on her brow, and she wiped it away, her creamy hand trembling as she took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

She was in her and Tatsuki's tent, the two girls lying next to one another. Orihime looked up at the cool canvas above her, watching water droplets slide down the outside of the royal blue canvas. She watched the water for a while before sighing, rubbing her arms quietly as she finally regained control.

She'd had another nightmare. It always happened the night after something shook her badly. It was no surprise she'd had one, especially after the incident with her art work. Here nightmares were always different, but they all revolved around the same concept, the same axis point. She should have expected this to happen. But of course, she had ignored all the warning signs, and had gone to bed only mildly afraid of what was to come.

There was also another reason why she'd dream of him; something she planned on doing.

Orihime turned around and dug a hand under her pillow, snatching her cell phone out from between the sheets. She immediately felt it vibrating, and she opened it up, checking the time anxiously.

It was almost exactly half past six in the morning. Thank the saints she had woken up from her nightmare just seconds before her alarm went off. The last thing she needed was to sleep through everything she had planned.

Orihime crawled out of her sleeping bag, letting out a small gasp when her bare legs left the warm comforts of the duvet, her heated skin meeting the cold air. She shivered and grabbed her bag, making sure not to bump Tatsuki as she reached past her.

But Orihime froze, her eyes going wide. How could she have forgotten to check on Tatsuki? What if her scream had woke her up! What if she didn't check and Tatsuki tried to follow her? What if…

Orihime turned to Tatsuki, staring at the mass of spiky black hair poking out of the red sleeping bag. The sunset haired woman gazed at her friend, smiling kindly, before she leaned over her, placing one slender hand on Tatsuki's side of the tent for balance. Orihime leaned down and looked carefully at Tatsuki's face, allowing her long hair to fall around the two of them like an orange curtain. She listened carefully to Tatsuki's breathing, trying to discern if she was awake or not.

From Tatsuki's peaceful expression and calm breathes, she could tell she was asleep. Orihime sat up straight and sighed in relief, glad that Tatsuki hadn't woken up. She grabbed her bag and began to rummage through it, pausing momentarily to wonder if she should just forget getting dressed and go out in her night clothes.

The teenager looked down at herself and instantly dismissed the idea. There was no way she could go out there in her baby yellow nightgown! That would be suicide! And besides, she wanted to be dressed properly, not in some silly, flimsy little gown!

So Orihime dug around in her bag again, searching for something comfortable to wear. She pulled out one of her huge bras and underwear, placing those on her lap before digging in the bag again until she finally found something descent. Orihime smiled and pulled out a teal strapless sundress, the dress small yet elegant, the bodice curved in a heart shape. It was one of her favorite dresses, and she would rather wear a dress than shorts at this time. Although they were both equally revealing, something about the idea of wearing beach shorts at this time in the morning made her cringe.

With a shudder, Orihime pulled off her nightgown, gasping as her ample breasts met the cool air. She covered them with her arms hurriedly, shivering as she felt her nipples harden, reacting to the cold temperature. But she moved her arms away quickly, pulling on her bra as fast as she could manage in the cramped space. She wrestled herself out of her underwear and climbed into the new pair, swallowing her little noises of frustration as she battled to get dressed in the cramped space without hitting Tatsuki by accident.

Then came the hard part. Orihime climbed into her dress, letting out a childish hiss of frustration when her arms got stuck, her ample breasts also getting stuck somewhere in the process. How she could get stuck in such a way she didn't know, but she was not anxious to see it happen again. With a little squeak she wrestled herself into the dress, her ears listening carefully for the all too horrible ripping noise she dreaded the most. But after what felt like forever, her arms and breasts finally slipped through, making Orihime squeal in delight.

Once she was finally dressed, Orihime carefully zipped up the tent flap, opening it and crawling outside onto the dew covered grass. She closed up the tent behind her, too lost in thought and focused on her plans to see that Tatsuki's eyes were wide open. As the tent flap closed behind her Tatsuki sat up, her eyes dark, her hands balled into fists in her blanket.

Orihime's search wasn't as thorough as she had first thought.

The red head stepped out onto the sand, looking around her at her surroundings. The sky was a dark shade of blue, the blue becoming lighter as it neared the horizon. The ocean was almost coal black, the light from the slowly disappearing moon reflecting across the restless surface. Waves moved slowly across the sand, making a soft, constant purring noise as the small waves crashed upon the shore, one after the other reaching the shoreline.

Orihime looked back at the tents gathered on the grass, looking to see if anyone was awake. But the enclosure was deathly quiet, and Orihime looked away from her sleeping friends, beginning to make her way across the sandy beach, heading in the direction of the cove in the distance. She felt the sand beneath her feet, and she let it move over her toes, her feet becoming buried for a second before she moved on, kicking up sand behind her.

She didn't have far to walk to reach a good spot. She only had to be out of the others' line of sight, and this was far enough for her. She looked around again, watching out for any signs of life, before she moved slowly toward the water's edge, watching the sky expectantly. She reached the tide line, and she knelt down on the hard, damp sand, her beautiful dress riding up her knee slightly. But she ignored it, watching the sky with baited breath.

As the minutes ticked by, the sky began to change, the colors lightening ever so slightly. Orihime watched in amazement as the sky just above the horizon turned from blue to green, the beautiful green shades spreading across the sky. Soon half the sky was glowing in the most stunning shade of green, becoming darker as it neared the dark blue edges.

Green Flash. Unless you lived on the coastline, you wouldn't see it at all, the light pollution and lack of the ocean in the midlands making it impossible to see. Orihime had waited so long to be able to see it, and this was one of the few chances she would get for a long, long time. As much as she hated to admit it, this was the main reason she wanted to come to the beach in the first place. Sure, she loved spending time with her friends, but this always remained at the forefront of her mind, the young woman planning and imagining just how this would turn out.

And to top it off, she hadn't told her friends about her plans. She knew more than half of them would have wanted to come with, and she really didn't want to have to say no to them. But more than anything, she wanted to be alone for this. She could only imagine what her friends would think of her if they saw what she was about to do next.

Orihime shook these thoughts out of her mind, returning her eyes to the sky as she gazed up at the beautiful green heavens in awe, memories dancing before her eyes.

It was like she was watching his cero race across the sky all over again, the blast of energy glowing with its mesmerizing green light.

Orihime clasped her hands in her lap, taking a deep breath. She sat in silence for a moment, wondering how on earth she was going to do this. Planning and acting out those plans were completely two different concepts, and know she realized just how hard this was going to be. She chewed on her lower lip nervously, trying to think back to all the times she had prayed to her brother. She had planned this so long in advance, and yet now when it was time to act, she had no idea what to do. It made her momentarily begin to panic, and she wrung her hands, looking up at the sky, pleading that she would think of something before her time ran out.

Gods this was harder than she thought it would be…

Finally, she took a deep breath, and took the plunge.

"H-hey! It's me again! Sorry for disturbing you…hehehe, that doesn't really sound right but I'm sure you get what I mean!" she laughed nervously, playing with the hem of her dress. Orihime instantly felt horrified, unable to believe how bad that had come out. What on earth would he think of her? She chewed on her lower lip again, trying to get her words in order, dismissing childish ideas hurriedly.

"I'm not really sure how to do this anymore! I haven't prayed to anyone for a quite some time! I'm sorry my talking skills are so rusty!" she admitted, looking up at the sky with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her head. She paused for a second, as if waiting for his cold reply. When none came, she sighed, looking back down at her dress.

"I must look like a real idiot…but you see…when I stopped praying to my brother, he got lonely. I never knew he could actually hear me, but every time I prayed to him he felt at peace and happy! But when I stopped praying to him, he became sad and lonely, and he felt like he was being abandoned! And now I…I…I don't want you to get lonely too! I'm don't even know if you can hear me or not, but still I…I have to try!" she said, fisting her dress in her hands. She took another shaky breath and continued, swallowing her nerves.

"I would have prayed to you sooner, but I never really had anything of you to pray with! But now that I have this, I can finally have something to remember you with! Memories are great but…it just doesn't feel the same…I have so much to tell you! You probably wouldn't care, but I'm going to tell you anyway!" she added, smiling eagerly. She raised her hand and began counting down on her fingers, smiling with each thing she listed.

"After I got back, I got to see my fried Tatsuki again! I missed her so much! She was pretty mad at Ichigo, and she even got to hit him! It was really funny actually! And I won an art award for my paintings that I did last year! Apparently they were really pretty, but I'm not so sure! To be honest, I think the judge just liked me a lot, but don't tell anyone I said that! Oh, and you're probably not going to like this, but Ichigo and Rukia started dating! They look so cute together; they make the perfect couple! And Ichigo's dad is really happy about it; he just can't wait to have Grandchildren! Hehehe, Ichigo wasn't too happy to hear that!"

She stopped, and looked down at the sand, blinking rapidly to fight back tears. It was all well and good to act happy and carefree, but now she could already feel her heart beginning to burn painfully. She took in a shaky breath, intending to continue on with her prayer.

"As you can see, I'm not that upset that Ichigo doesn't love me…I don't know what I was thinking when I came back. I can't believe that I thought he'd run in and sweep me off my feet like some fairy tale prince…it didn't happen like that! He just…moved on like nothing had happened! And I think, deep down that…maybe I have too!" she murmured, tears beginning to leak from her eyes.

"I wish…I wish I had done things differently! I was so blind…I…I hate myself for what I did! This is all my fault! If I hadn't screamed for him, you would still be here! And even after everything that happened, even after you saved us all, I still didn't come to you instead! Not even to Uryu…how could I be so cruel!" she cried, letting her heart spill out for the first time since she had started talking. Everything else had been babble; her own desperate attempt to hide the pain inside.

"Y-you must h-hate me for what I did! I-I don't b-blame you i-if you do! But I…I just want you to know I'm sorry!"

Orihime leaned forwards, hugging herself as she rocked backwards and forwards on the sand, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. The sky hung silently above her, the green heavens watching down on her.

"I wish I had reacted sooner! I could have healed you! But I didn't, and I know I should of! I could have tried to stop Ichigo, I could have shielded you from him, but I never got the chance to! And because of my negligence, you lost everything! You never got to know how it feels to have a heart, and it's all my fault!"

Orihime looked back up at the sky, her body shivering uncontrollably, "I miss you so much! I know I'm not supposed to, but I do! I imagine hearing your voice everyday! 'Don't be foolish Woman' 'Don't cry, Woman' 'Eat your meal before I get back, Woman' 'Woman I…I…'!"

Orihime doubled over again, pressing her face into her hands. She couldn't say it, she just couldn't say it.

"I'm so sorry, Ulquiorra!" Orihime cried, screwing her eyes shut as she succumbed to her tears, her words dying in her throat as she let go of her control completely.

* * *

In another reality, the deserts of Hueco Mundo lay still and silent, not a breath of air stirring. Not a single thing moved, and the crystal trees remained still and dead, the light of the moon making them sparkle dully. Little Hollow lizards crept out from the sand and looked about, searching for predators or an easy meal before shooting back into the sand, hiding from danger and scavenging for food.

Above the skies of Hueco Mundo, a consciousness stirred restlessly. It had been stirring now for quite some time, shifting and growing, making the creatures of the desert cower and scurry away. Even the bigger Hollows, the Gillians and the Adjuchas, became unnerved by the shifting powers, the Gillians roaring mindlessly while the Adjuchas shivered, hiding in the shadows of the great Menos Forest.

But the consciousness had never been as active as this. It began to shift and thrash, moving violently in an unmoving world. Something had triggered it, or rather, something was pushing it. The creatures of the desert began to become restless, and the lizards dived deep underground, preferring the wild roars of the Gillians to the thing stirring high above their heads.

Suddenly, without warning, the consciousness exploded outwards, growing rapidly. The sky darkened ever so slightly, and a sudden breeze picked up, disturbing the sands. Small black particles began to move on the sudden wind, rising from the sands and beginning to rush to the very centre of Hueco Mundo.

The consciousness froze, before shooting in on itself, focusing on a small pinprick of black on the roof of Las Noches. The tiny ash particles began to nit themselves together sluggishly, morphing and shifting into a solid form. It felt as if the entire world held its breath, waiting anxiously to see what would unfold before it.

The form began to take shape, slowly but surely turning into a humanoid being. Black wings spread themselves out, and clawed, furred hands clenched in the dirt, pawing at the ground. A black tail curled and whipped through the air, and as the head began to form, black hair grew and rustled in the wind, little bits of dust getting caught in the creature's messy ebony hair.

Finally, the wind died down, the ash particles gone completely. The man lay still for a second longer before sucking in a breath, rising quickly to his knees. The demon arched his back and drew in a deep breath, hacking and coughing as the air scratched his lungs, his eyes going wide with shock.

After a few minutes of desperate breathing, the man looked about him, his gold and green eyes wide with disbelief. He stood to his feet and spun around, almost seeming to look for someone, but when he saw nothing he went still once more, his chest heaving as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

Slowly, his face went blank, all expression and emotion leaving him completely as he began to analyze everything around him, his mind becoming cold and calculating as he closed his eyes. Memories played out before him, and soon he saw a image of a woman reaching out to him, her red hair blowing in the wind, her grey eyes swimming with tears.

At that moment, everything clicked into place. The demons eyes flashed open, and an ocean of Spiritual Pressure exploded into being, the demons reitsu taking over the entire desert. Creatures hissed in fear and terror, cowering as the ocean spread, forming a second layer on top of reality.

Like it had once been described as before, it was literally an ocean above the sky.

The man's eyes narrowed, and with a booming noise he spread his wings, launching himself into the air. His wings began to beat at the air, propelling him faster than the eye could see across the desert, turning him into a blur of black. He moved through the air expertly, climbing upwards to gain more distance, his body curved slightly, his powerful wings propelling him forwards. The moon stood out stark and white behind him, framing his majestic form as he slowed, arching himself in the air briefly like a dolphin; the moonlight shining on the surface of his wings. He hung there for a second before diving, dropping out the air completely as he raced towards the desert sands below him.

As he neared the ground, the man folded his wings, letting something click into place inside him. In a flash, blackness enveloped him, green light glowing brightly from the centre. The cloud of black shifted, and a white figure fell from its depth, the demonic form from before gone. The man was now clothed in white, and he fell freely, his body plummeting to the sands below him. But his expression did not change from its former blank stare, and with a mere swipe of his hand, a black Garganta opened up below him, yawning hungrily at him.

Without a sound, the man fell into the black, murky rip in reality, and it closed up behind him, a loud rumble cutting through the air as it disappeared completely.

* * *

In the human world, Orihime lay on the sand, her eyes closed. Her legs were curled up beneath her, and she rested her head on her arm, her hair falling around her in sunset waves. The sky still glowed green above her, the horizon glowing orange, the green separating the orange and blue parts of the sky completely. The ocean had turned a beautiful shade of blue, and the waves seemed to move faster now, breaking at the shoreline more eagerly than they had before.

Orihime dozed quietly, the tears on her cheeks dry and flaking. Her eyes were no longer red rimmed, and her heart beats had slowed, allowing her to relax as she lay there. After her violent fit of sobs she had crawled up onto the drier sand and had collapsed there, to upset and afraid to move, and had eventually dozed off there, the first morning rays beginning to warm her.

Orihime wondered if her mind could finally be at peace now that she had prayed to Ulquiorra. Maybe now her pain would lessen, and she would start having nightmares less frequently. But her down-to-earth side knew that was not the case. She would always feel upset and troubled over what had happened. A simple crying fit and prayer was not going to make it go away, not in the same way it had made her feel about her brother. Her brother had died in a car accident, it wasn't her fault. But the guilt she felt over Ulquiorra's death would never go away, and she would forever long to see those cold, green eyes again, and she would always imagine hearing his deep, rich voice, that voice guiding her and making her stronger, even with the harsh words he had spoken.

Orihime laid still, her lips slightly parted. But suddenly, without warning her eyes flashed open, and she sat bolt upright, sending grains of sand flying.

Spiritual Pressure. She could feel it, seeping through every fiber of her being, the reitsu glowing not too far away from her. It was small, barely noticeable, but it was there none the less. The Spiritual Pressure was cold, harsh and unforgettable, and to Orihime, it was painfully recognizable.

The young woman stood to her feet, feeling as if her heart was trying to beat itself out of her chest. Her eyes were wide, and she began to shake, moving her head from side to side in denial.

This was it; she had officially lost her mind. If Orihime had had doubts of her insanity before this, they were certainly gone now. How could her mind be playing such a cruel, heartbreaking trick on her? This wasn't fair; this was like kicking a dog when it was already down to begin with. She couldn't bear to feel this now, not after what she had just been through. Orihime knew that she was only trying to hurt herself, and for a moment, she considered turning around and walking back down the beach to her tent, intending to ignore the reitsu completely.

But a small part of her was desperate, begging her to go see. Even if it did hurt her, she wanted to see that he wasn't there with her own eyes. If she didn't go investigate, it would haunt her forever, and she would regret not confirming her doubts when she had the chance.

It didn't take long for that small part to take over her completely.

Without another seconds hesitation Orihime took off down the beach, running in the direction of the reitsu. Her bare feet beat at the sand, and she stumbled, her weight making the sand give way under her. She swerved towards the harder sand, allowing her to run faster without taking the risk of falling flat on her face. Unbeknownst to her, her pupils had shrunk in shock; her mind becoming completely consumed by the prospect of what she might see. She ran as fast as her body could manage; her sunset hair billowing out behind her, her short sundress flowing around her like a teal flower.

As Orihime got closer to the corner of the sheltered cove, she felt the reitsu strengthen, becoming stronger and more pronounced. She resisted the urge to respond to it, stopping herself from letting her on reitsu blossom and spark outwards. If her suspicions were correct, she would only be making it harder for herself to deal with later.

Orihime pushed herself harder, literally throwing herself across the final short distance around the corner. She hadn't realized how far the cove was away from the campsite, and her legs were burning from the strain. But she pushed herself harder than ever, and, after what felt like a lifetime of running, she finally rounded the corner.

Orihime slowed to a stop, her frantic breaths catching in her throat. Her eyes widened to gigantic proportions, and her heart almost seemed to grind to a complete standstill, all sound around her disappearing completely.

A man stood further off down the sand, the man dressed completely in white, his eyes gazing out across the water. He had thick, messy black hair, and his skin was porcelain white, almost as pale as the white uniform he was wearing. The front zipper of his uniform was pulled down, revealing a gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be. His face was startlingly handsome, and his eyes were cold and serious, his green eyes portraying no emotion, his pupils slits like those of a cats. Dark teal tear streaks ran down his cheeks, and his upper lip was black, standing out in stark contrast against his pale skin. The left side of his head was covered by an ivory bone helmet, and he carried a light blue sword scabbard at his side, the Zanpakutou hanging from his hip.

Orihime almost fell to her knees.

"Ul…qui…orra…?" she murmured, drawing his name out as she stared at him. She took an involuntary step forwards, her hands reaching out to him unconsciously, her fingers stretching out into thin air.

Ulquiorra turned at the sound of her voice, and his eyes widened fractionally at the sight of her, his lips parting as he drew in a startled breath. His eyes roamed over her, taking every bit of her in, his mind reeling at the sight of her.

It had been so long; far too long.

"Woman," he replied stoically, staring into her grey orbs. Orihime let out a little gasp at his voice, marveling at the sound of it. Right now she didn't care if her mind was playing tricks on her; the pain was worth it, _he _was worth it. Memories were nothing compared to that voice; the memories of it she'd spared were blasphemy compared to what she was hearing now. It made her want to collapse to the ground in a lifeless heap.

And then he did something that shattered her resolve completely.

Ulquiorra lifted a pale hand from his pocket; reaching out to her just like he had all that time ago. His pale fingers stretched out, the light of the sun reflecting off the surface of his ebony nails. His green eyes never left hers, and Orihime could clearly see the longing veiled behind them, the small emotion shining like a beacon in them.

At the sight, Orihime began to cry, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She took a small step towards him, testing her grounds, before running forwards, reaching for him with frantic fingers. She rushed across the sand, her eyes never leaving his, her own hand reaching out to touch his.

When she was just a hairs breadth away from him she slowed, reaching out for his hand tentatively, afraid that he would disappear or turn to ash in her fingers again. Both of them looked down at their hands, their eyes wide as they looked at them, both not quite able to believe they were getting a second chance to finish what they had started.

Gently, Orihime let her fingertips brush his, holding her breath, pleading to whatever god there was that her fingers would meet solid flesh. She instantly felt his cool skin beneath her fingers, and Orihime gasped, not even ashamed of the noise she had made. Ulquiorra sucked in a silent breath, marveling at the feel of her fingertips on his. The wait didn't seem that torturous anymore; what was happening now was definitely worth it. He'd wait a hundred years if it meant he'd get to feel that again, feel her warm skin beneath his finger tips, feel her frantic heart beat caress his skin. Everything about her was worth the wait.

Orihime let her fingers snake through his, tears streaming down her cheeks unchecked. She grasped his hand in hers, taking in the cool feel of his skin, storing away the memory in the back of her mind. She ran her thumb over his softly, stroking his finger gently, her knees almost collapsing under her when he responded in turn, letting his thumb brush over her finger lightly, the gesture unsure. Their palms touched, and they looked from their entwined hands to each other's faces, their eyes wider than they usually were. Ulquiorra looked almost completely out of his depth, his eyes wide, his pupils larger than usual as he stared at her, not quite able to believe what was happening to him.

Orihime bottom lip trembled as she looked up at him, and before she could stop herself she let go of his hand, throwing herself at him. Her arms encircled Ulquiorra's torso, and she pressed herself to his chest, sobbing brokenly against him as all the pain she had been through finally came crashing down on her. Ever since that night she had bottled everything up inside, suffering in silence, only allowing it to flow out in her frequent, minor outbursts. But now it fell upon her like a ton of bricks, and she cried shameless, sobbing against him, her tears soaking his Arrancar uniform. A few tears hit the skin of his chest, the tears sliding past his Hollow Hole, leaving wet trails behind them.

"U-Ulquiorra! I-I'm s-so s-s-sorry! I-I didn't m-mean for y-you to g-get h-h-hurt!" she cried, tightening her arms around him desperately.

Ulquiorra was frozen in place, his hand still held out lamely. He let it fall to his side, not quite sure what to do with himself. His mind was sent reeling by the feel of her body pressed up so tantalizingly close to his, every curve of her body falling into place against him, her breasts pressing into his stomach from her odd position. A huge part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her in turn, but the other part shied away from the urge, feeling the burning sensation in his chest. But the larger part soon won over, and he let his arms encircle her tentatively before drawing her close, resting his cheek against her hair. He nuzzled it slightly, shocked by the amazing smell and softness of it, before moving his head around her, lifting her slightly so she could cry on his shoulder, his ebony locks brushing against her face.

"That is not your apology to give, Woman," he murmured, allowing her to cry. As much as he hated to see her in such a state, he knew somehow this was good for her. How it was good, he had no idea, but perhaps it would be better for her to cry it out now than let it consume her completely. And from the way she was crying so desperately, he could tell she had a lot to let out.

Another reason for him to despise that infuriating Shinigami all the more.

"B-but I s-should of h-helped you! A-and I-I wasn't f-fast enough to s-s-save you!" she cried, balling his uniform in her fist. Ulquiorra shook his head, closing his eyes in mild irritation.

"You couldn't have saved me even if you tried. And I do not hold you to blame for what happened. There is no need to beat yourself up over something you had no hope of preventing, Woman."

Orihime sniffed, nuzzling deeper into his shoulder, making his arms tighten around her fractionally, "W-Why? I d-did nothing but h-hurt you! Even a-after everything you had d-d-done, I still didn't come to y-you! I was a-an idiot! I'm s-sorry I hurt you, U-Ulquiorra, I really am!" she murmured in between sobs and hiccups, choking on her tears.

Ulquiorra stiffened slightly, his eyes widening. So she realized how much it had hurt to see her run to Ichigo instead of him? This news shocked him to the core. But as her words sunk in, he tightened his arms around her even more, moving one hand up to touch her hair gently.

"Don't make things harder for yourself than what it has to be, Woman. I regret nothing, and I do not blame you for what you did. Stop begging for my forgiveness, when I already gave it to you so long ago," he murmured, closing his eyes. Orihime gasped slightly at his words, before burying her head in his shoulder again, her grip on his uniform tightening.

The sun finally bridged the horizon, its golden rays reaching out to them. Ulquiorra watched in silent awe as Orihime's hair lit up, sparkling in the sunlight, golden waves running down the length of her sunset locks. The ocean reflected the light next to her, the sunlight dancing on the surface, the waves crashing not too far away. The green sky faded away, allowing the sky to turn as blue as the hairpins and dress she wore. Her creamy skin seemed more alive and healthy than ever, and Ulquiorra could only stare at her, taking in every ounce of her beauty with his all-seeing-eye.

In all his years, Ulquiorra had never felt so horrifically inadequate.

"You haven't changed at all…Orihime Inoue."

_"Now that I know what I'm without  
you can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and make me real  
bring me to life_

_(Wake me up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(Save me)_  
_Call my name and save me from the dark_  
_(Wake me up)_  
_Bid my blood to run_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_Before I come undone_  
_(Save me)_  
_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life_  
_(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)_  
_Bring me to life_

_Frozen inside without your touch without your love darling only you are the life among the dead_

_(All this time I can't believe I couldn't see_  
_kept in the dark but you were there in front of me)_  
_I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems_  
_got to open my eyes to everything_  
_(Without a thought without a voice without a soul)_  
_Don't let me die here_  
_(There must be something more)_  
_Bring me to life_

_(Wake me up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_Wake me up inside_  
_(Save me)_  
_Call my name and save me from the dark_  
_(Wake me up)_  
_Bid my blood to run_  
_(I can't wake up)_  
_Before I come undone_  
_(Save me)_  
_Save me from the nothing I've become_

_Bring me to life_  
_(I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside)_  
_Bring me to life"_

Evanescence – Bring Me to Life

* * *

**YAAAAAAY! Ulquiorra is BAAAACK! I am SOO sorry it took so long, but I really didn't want to rush anything! :) And now that he is back, no more super ANGSTY moments! Sure, there will be emotional moments, but they won't be as heavy as these past few ones (don't hold me to that, you may get a surprise!)! And now that Ulquiorra's back, we can finally start getting into the main plot! I'm so excited! :D :D :D**

**And for those of you who are wondering, the dream Orihime had at the beginning of this chapter was NOT a memory, so don't get a fright when you see that the dream was NOTHING like what really happened! :) She was just having a nightmare about him!**

**Also, if some of you are confused, Ulquiorra didn't just POP into existance (lol, that would have been funny! Watch the magician pull Ulquiorra out of his hats boys and girls!), he reformed himself! And it didn't go quick-quick either! It took so long Orihime even had time to doze off! :) And it didn't just happen out of the blue! As I mentioned in the chapter, his consciousness had been stirring for some time before he came back!  
How did he reform you may be asking? Wait for the next chapter and find out! (See what I did there? I made a cliffhanger! Ain't I just the sweetest thing?)**

**Gosh, I reeeeally hope this chapter turned out better than my last one (this one is DEFINITELY shorter, thank the saints!)! Thank you to Ashurahime and Yellowbricks for the constructive critisicm and help! It means a lot to me! :) And thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys make my day, you really do! Also, would any one of you be so kind as to tell me if Ulquiorra and Orihime seem in character, especially Ulquiorra! I haven't written from his perspective for quite some time now, and I really hope my Ulquiorra-Writing-Skills aren't too rusty! I wrote a Ulquiorra chapter the other day and nearly had a heart attack when I realized I had no idea how to write about him! 0_0 So please throw out a kind review! :)**

**AND THE FAN ART FOR THIS STORY IS FINISHED! I will put a link to it on my profile, along with links to my DA profile and my art work! :D**

**I'll try to update as soon as possible! This one came a little late; my laptop got stolen last week, and I was visiting a friend so I couldn't write anything! It was horrible to have my laptop taken from me! All my stories were on it! 0_0 But thank the heavens, I had saved them on my Flash drive (all except three chapters, a Death Note chapter, a random UlquiHime chapter, and the third chapter to my ACTUAL book, which was meant to be sent to the publishers! I was so upset about that last one! T_T).**

**But the insurance company has to pay my dad out for my laptop, and he said that he's going to buy me another one just like it, so hopefully things will come right again! Until then, I have to use my sister's computer...I swear they were using this thing when the dinosaurs went extict *looks around the computer to check for cave paintings*. But I will endure!**

**I'll update soon! I know EXACTLY what's going to happen next! :D *laughs evilly***

**Bye bye for now, UlquiHime lovers! Remember to review! :) Spread the love people! **


	5. 4 There's More to What Meets the Eye

**Yay for fast updates! I'm so glad I managed to finish this so quickly! :D But after the amazing feedback I got from my last chapter (you guys are awesome, you know that?), I was literally biting at the bit to get this next chapter to you! I really hope you guys like it! Yay for UlquiHime, one of the best pairings in the whole of Bleach! :D**

**This chapter is dedicated to Manga Zeal, my bestest Manga Buddy. She watched Bleach Episode 272 with me, and we both screamed right up to the final moment. Thank you Manga, what would I do without you? :) And thank you so much for introducing me to this song!**

**Now...it's time...to...READ! READ LIKE THE WIND PEOPLE! (dances about happily with her Ulquiorra plushie)**

**There's More to What Meets the Eye**

"_Fall!__save your breath it's far from over  
Leave the lost and dead behind,  
__now's your chance to run for cover  
I don't want to change the world,  
__I just want to leave it colder  
Light the fuse and burn it up,  
__take the path that leads to nowhere  
All is lost again, but I'm not giving in__  
_

Now the dark begins to rise,

I Will Not Bow, I Will Not Break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away"

The sun rose slowly across the sky as the minutes passed, the warm and gentle rays heating up the world below it, kissing the sand eagerly. Light dance on the surface of the ocean, sparkling like stars, the waves rushing frantically towards the shore, churning up sand in their wakes. Seagulls screeched as they flew out across the sky, their red beaks agape as the called to one another, their wings beating at the air majestically.

Ulquiorra ignored their cries, his attention focused on the woman in his arms. Orihime's sobs and whimpers had finally slowed to a gentle stop, and she rested in his arms, her hands still clamped on the back of his uniform, her head resting on his shoulder. The Cuatro Espada looked down at her calmly, his veiled eyes holding the slightest hint of tenderness, his general expression blank.

Orihime opened her eyes, letting out a soft breath of relief. Her tears had finally stopped, and now she felt almost completely spent. She felt like she'd cried enough to last two of her lifetimes. It was enough to wear anyone down. But she didn't want to sleep now. There was too much going on for sleep to even cross her mind!

And to top it off, a part of her was afraid that she'd go to sleep and wake up to find that all of this had been nothing but a dream; that the man holding her now had been nothing more than a figure of her over-active imagination. If that turned out to be the case, it would crush her soul completely.

But now that she thought about it, there was no way this could be a dream. No dream could ever hope to be this real. She could feel his strong arms pressing her to his chest, feel the fabric of his uniform caress her cheek, feel his inky black locks of hair brush her face and lips. She could even feel the rise and fall of his rock hard chest beneath her own, her skin tingling as his warm breath washed over the back of her neck. How could any dream even hope to compare to this? No, Ulquiorra was _real_, and he was right there in front of her, alive as the day he had been when he'd kidnapped her, demanding that she come with him back to his own empty world.

Orihime froze, and her brow crinkled in a slight frown, her eyes darkening slightly as this thought kicked her right out of her warm, protective daze.

Ulquiorra felt her tense, and he pulled away, pulling his chest back to look at her, his hands sliding down to grasp her waist, "Something is troubling you, Woman."

It was a statement, not a question. Orihime looked up at him, her hands coming down to rest around his Hollow Hole, her palms pressed flat against his skin. Her twinkling grey eyes looked up curiously into his blank green ones, and her auburn eyebrows shot up, her lips parting slightly.

"H-how…? How did you get here?"

"By what other means could I have gotten here, Woman? You know full well I used Garganta. Do not ask such foolish questions," he stated coldly, making Orihime shake her head, closing her eyes in exasperation.

"No! Argh, I didn't mean it like that! Let me rephrase that! Why are you alive? Please don't miss understand me, I'm so happy you're here! But _how_ did this happen!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly, "Isn't the answer painfully obvious, Woman? I regenerated. Surely that concept is not very hard to grasp?"

"B-but you told Ichigo that your vital organs couldn't be regenerated! You were amputated from the waist down! You stomach, your intestines…how!"

The cold Espada realized his mistake, and he looked away briefly, looking out at the ocean before turning back to her, his eyes softer than they had been before.

"That was my mistake, Woman…I should have made it clearer to you people at the time. Parts of my body like my arms and limbs can regenerate quickly and infinitely…whereas my vital organs, such as my brain and lungs, do not regenerate _immediately_. My body will reform accordingly, but only over a long period of time. That is the only downfall of my regenerating abilities," he admitted, making Orihime's eyes widen.

"So you-you…where _alive _this whole time? Where were you, why-?"

"Do not make assumptions. I was alive, but not in the way you are imagining it to be. I could not have seen you even if I tried. The only thing I had left was my consciousness," Ulquiorra told her blankly, making Orihime look down, guilt stabbing at her chest. He had gone through just as much pain as she had, maybe even more. She should have been more considerate!

"So all this time you've been…in something like a coma?"

"That is correct, Woman. But there is nothing you could have done to change that. Do not let it burden you," Ulquiorra murmured, picking up the warning signs in her eyes. Orihime nodded, chewing at her lower lip thoughtfully.

"I suppose…"

Suddenly, a memory formed in her mind, and her cheeks reddened, her eyes going wide as she realized what Ulquiorra's words meant. She pulled her hands from his chest and fiddled at the hem of her dress, not even noticing when Ulquiorra's arms remained firmly around her waist, the Arrancar deciding not to let go of her just yet

"Umm…Ulquiorra?" she asked nervously, her one foot pawing at the sand nervously as she refused to look up at him, hiding her rose pink cheeks away from him.

"Yes, Woman?" Ulquiorra questioned, curiously taking note of her bizarre behavior. Why were her cheeks going red like this? What reason did she have for acting in such an absurd manner? His curiosity sparked up inside him, and he stared at her intently, waiting for her reply.

"Um…er…while you were in this…state…could you…hear things?" Orihime asked nervously, finally looking up at him. Ulquiorra stared at her in mild shock before letting his eyebrows drop back down to their normal positions.

"Yes. But only after a certain period of time. I cannot recall what happened in that time. My consciousness only became fully active two months or so after I died. But after that period, I could hear and sense every presence in Hueco Mundo. Why would you ask such a thing, Woman?"

Orihime continued to fiddle with her dress, looking back down at her creamy hands, "So…you never heard…me, during that time…did you?"

Ulquiorra's brow twisted in a genuine frown, and he stared at her, not quite sure what she was going on about, "Of course not. What are you concerned about, Woman? I heard nothing from you since I last saw you."

Well, this wasn't exactly the whole truth. Just before he had reformed, Ulquiorra had felt something completely bizarre and unexpected. As he had drifted in the void, feeling the dull, gentle pricks from the outside world, he had felt his entire being warm up, his consciousness sensing the warmth that tried to wash over him. It had been completely unexpected, but as he drifted in the pleasant warmth, he had thought of the Woman he had fought over so long ago. The images of her had formed in his mind like they had many times before, and Ulquiorra had finally been able to force himself back into reality. That had been the last and final straw for him. How could he just lie there for another second longer, knowing that as time dragged on, she would be drifting further and further away from him? This simple thought had sent his rage skyrocketing, and before anyone could even figure out what had taken place, he had broken through the void, shattering the darkness around him and claiming life once again.

But, there was no way he would tell the woman this. He wouldn't dare voice that to her, not that she was the one who had given him the will he needed. Ulquiorra would never even think of embarrassing himself in such a way.

Ulquiorra's thoughts were disrupted as Orihime smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling as she cocked her head to one side, "Oh! Well, never mind then! I won't bother with it anymore, Ulquiorra!"

The Espada stared at her, feeling his chest tighten painfully. He had never seen her smile before, and it sent waves of electricity shooting through every fiber of his being, almost making him stumble back. All the times he had seen her, she had either had a look of sadness, anger, or determination on her beautiful face, but none of them could compare to this. Sure, the other Arrancar had smiled, but all those where nothing more than perverted smirks, blood thirsty grins and degrading smiles. None of them were even in the same _league _as this! How could something so small make someone look so much more beautiful?

Ulquiorra tightened his arms around her, drawing her back in for a final embrace. Orihime gasped, her arms coming back round to circle his chest, before she smiled all the wider, resting her chin on his shoulder as she closed her eyes.

"I'm so happy you're here, Ulquiorra…happier than I've been in a long time…"

"I am pleased to hear that, Woman," he replied, allowing his eyes to close as well. He wasn't lying either. He wanted nothing more than to see her happy. He could not stand to see her cry again.

Orihime thought quietly, wondering if she should voice her thoughts. Finally, her down-to-earth side cut through her happy moment once more, and her expression turned anxious as she tightened her grip on him.

"Are you going to stay with me, Ulquiorra? I…don't want you to leave me behind again…"

Ulquiorra stiffened at her words, and he pulled back to stare at her, his cold eyes meeting her emotion-filled ones, "What would you have me do, Woman?"

Orihime looked away from him, looking out at the ocean sadly, "I'd…have you stay…here, in the human world…the only other choice I have left is to go with you to Hueco Mundo…"

At that, Ulquiorra felt his eyes widen, his face twisting in utter shock and disbelief. She would go to Hueco Mundo with him for a second time? _Impossible_…or was he wrong? How could this woman confuse him so? A year ago, she would have jumped off the nearest cliff to be with her friends, to leave that empty world forever, and now she was offering to go _back_ with him? _Why_? Why would she do anything of the sought?

And then it slowly dawned upon him. She _didn't_ want to return to Las Noches. She didn't want to go back, but she was offering to do it for him. Not because she wanted to, but because she felt it was her duty, her burden to bear to please him and keep him at her side. And as tempting as this sounded, Ulquiorra found himself recoiling from the idea. To see her smile, to see her in this light, was far better than the shell of a woman he had come to care and long for.

The former Cuatro Espada looked down at her, taking in the way the warm sunlight danced off her hair, the way her skin seemed to glow, the way her eyes twinkled with emotion and life, the way her dress and hair swayed in the breeze, strands of it breezing by his face. He could even smell her scent, her body smelling sweet and subtle, like a fine French perfume. And that smile, that unforgettable sign of emotion that was enough to send his mind reeling.

And as he took it all in, he remembered her former self, her shoulders shaking as she cried, her body resting against the wall of her prison cell. He remembered standing outside her cell after she had slapped him, listening to her desperate sobs, his eyes darkening as for the umpteenth time he felt his Hollow Hole burn painfully, anger and something like guilt clawing at his chest.

There was no way he'd destroy her again, not after everything they had been through.

"Woman," he murmured quietly, looking down at her blankly, "I was ordered by Lord Aizen to protect Las Noches, at all costs…"

Orihime lowered her head, knowing full well what was coming. Ulquiorra would leave with her and drag her back to Las Noches. It was too much to have hoped for, the idea of him staying here with her in a world he was disgusted by. Why had she even asked it of him in the first place? She might as well have pulled the trigger herself.

"But I cannot protect what has already been destroyed, even if its destruction came from my own hands…and I have not been ordered to leave your side. If watching over you means I would have to live here in this world, then I shall not go against my orders."

Orihime's head shot up, her eyes wide with shock; she stared at him in disbelief, unable to believe what she had just heard. She tried to push down the soaring, weightless feeling that bubbled up inside her, but it soon overwhelmed her, and a brilliant smile broke across her face, her eyes glowing with thousands of different emotions.

"Y-you mean you're…you mean you're going to stay _here_?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement and anxiety. Ulquiorra looked down into helplessly excited face, and instantly felt all doubt leave his mind. Everything that would happen after this was worth seeing that look on her face, her eyes so bright, her lips pulled back in the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"Of course, Woman. I have every reason to."

Orihime instantly felt her heart leap, and before she could stop herself she threw herself at him, taking the Arrancar completely by surprise. Bubbling laughter escaped her, her arms clamping around him in a death hug as she let out all her happiness and excitement, her eyes closed as she babbled senselessly.

"Oh Ulquiorra, I'm so happy! I can't believe you're going to stay with me! This feels like a dream! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, not realizing just how closely she was pressed to him, her breasts pressing into his chest, every single curve hugging his slim form. Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock, horrified by the position he was in. A foreign sensation began to kick and pull at his abdomen, searing heat pooling there, making an unexpected shiver run down his spine.

No. He had to stop this now before it ran away with him!

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed, and he pushed at Orihime, trying to pry her off of him, "Do not be so foolish, Woman! Release me this instant. Do not make me regret my decision."

Orihime ignored him, laughing happily at his cold orders. Orihime wouldn't be lying if she said that this was one of the happiest moments in her entire life.

But in an instant, the moment was shattered completely.

The fiery red head felt Ulquiorra stiffen against her, and she froze, her laughter dying in her throat. Her excitement died down, and for the first time, she felt it. That all too familiar Spiritual Pressure. That reitsu that was small yet strong enough to only belong to one person.

Orihime let go of Ulquiorra and spun around, her eyes wide. Her breathing hitched, and she took a step back, unconsciously falling into place next to Ulquiorra.

Tatsuki stood before them, standing no too far away from them on the sand. She had thrown on a pair of black beach shorts and a white tank top, and she was staring at them in shock, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape. She looked from Ulquiorra to Orihime and back, taking in the sight of the Arrancar and her best friend, her pupils tiny, sweat beading on the side of her head.

Finally, her eyes came to rest on Orihime, and she shook her head slowly, as if she was in denial, "No…Orihime please…!" she murmured, her eyes turning from full of blind shock to intense horror.

Orihime felt all the blood drain from her cheeks, and she stepped forwards slightly, reaching out a hand to her friend, "Tatsuki please! This isn't as bad as it looks! Please, don't-,"

"Don't justify this, Orihime!" Tatsuki cried, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "Don't pretend I don't know who this fucker is! He hurt you, he ruined _everything_! That monster _destroyed_ you! This…thing, this is the thing you've been crying over for almost an entire year! That thing you call Ulquiorra!"

Orihime's eyes widened, and she froze, staring at her enraged friend, "How do you…?"

"How do I know that bastards name? From all the times I've caught you screaming and crying in your sleep, that's how! I can't even count the number of times I've heard you say his name! I never even knew what you were talking about, but now I get the whole picture! This bastard's been hurting you non-stop since you were kidnapped, even after he died!"

The sunset haired young woman could only stare at her friend, her lower lip trembling as she watched her friend cry and scream. How could this be happening? Didn't she understand? Didn't she see how happy she was? This wasn't fair, why was Tatsuki so upset!

Unbeknownst to Orihime, Tatsuki _had_ seen how happy she was, and that was what had set her off. It enraged Tatsuki to think that Orihime's tormentor had such a hold on her that his very presence could make her glow in ways Tatsuki hadn't seen since she got back. For once, Orihime looked free, and that is what pushed Tatsuki over the edge. Just looking at Ulquiorra made her want to scream. He had hurt Orihime, hurt her to the extent that she had come back as an empty shell, and Tatsuki had been left with the job to bring her friend back from the dead. Tatsuki had almost given up hope of doing it completely, and now she was being told that the only thing that would make her friend better was the monster that destroyed her in the first place.

Naturally, this did not sit well with the protective young woman.

Ulquiorra watched all of this, feeling anger of his own bubble up inside him as he watched this girl Orihime called her friend hurt her. His fists clenched in his pockets as he watched Orihime take a step back, her eyes watering as she stared at Tatsuki, her head shaking from side to side slightly.

The Arrancar wouldn't stand for this. He'd had enough of seeing Orihime cry.

Ulquiorra stepped forwards, grabbing Orihime and pulling her aside gently. Orihime looked up at him, pleading for him not to get involved, but the stoic Hollow ignored her, glaring daggers at the woman's so-called-friend.

At the sight of Ulquiorra holding Orihime's arm, Tatsuki stepped forwards, her fists clenched in blind rage, "_Don't you dare touch her_!"

But Ulquiorra ignored her, continuing to glare at the wrathful teenager, his hand still clamped around Orihime's arm.

"That's enough. I do not wish to hear any more of your trash. I have never raised a finger to this woman, and yet you rush on ahead and make assumptions, claiming I've hurt her? Nonsense. Do not shout and scream when you know nothing," Ulquiorra stated coldly, making Tatsuki's eyes widen before narrowing again. She began to move towards them, making Orihime's eyes darken with worry.

"Keep your mouth shut! If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place! And get your filthy hands off of her! You have no right to touch her!"

Ulquiorra looked right into her fierce brown eyes, all emotion completely gone from his expression, "Is that so?" he asked coldly, making Tatsuki falter slightly at the dangerous undertone of his voice.

Suddenly, without even a hint of warning, Ulquiorra's reitsu exploded outwards, his Spiritual Pressure skyrocketing. Orihime gasped as his familiar, smothering black reitsu enveloped them, making the world shake around them. Orihime stumbled slightly before adjusting to his familiar Spirit waves, standing up straight once again.

But Tatsuki was in a completely different state.

The young woman collapsed to the ground, gasping and hacking, feeling as if the weight of the world had just been dropped upon her. Tatsuki began to gasp, shivering under the pressure, resting on her hands and knees. She tried to look up at them, to look up into Ulquiorra's blank stare, but it was almost completely impossible to lift her head even the slightest bit.

Orihime was frozen in place for a split second before running forwards, tearing herself from Ulquiorra's grasp. She dropped down next to Tatsuki and wrapped her arms around her, looking up desperately at the stoic Arrancar.

"Ulquiorra stop, please! You'll crush her!" Orihime pleaded, looking anxiously between the two of them, feeling as if her heart was torn in two.

In a flash, the pressure was gone, the Arrancar instantly reining it in at the sound of his charge's voice. He looked down at them silently, watching as Orihime embraced her sobbing friend, rocking her backwards and forwards, whispering soothing words to her lifelong best friend. Ulquiorra watched the strong red head for a bit longer before moving towards them, crossing the short distance to Orihime and her fallen companion.

Unfortunately, neither of them saw Tatsuki clench her teeth, sweat beading on her face, reaching into the small pocket of her tiny beach shorts. The athlete took out a small camping knife, flicking it open angrily.

Orihime heard the click and saw the knife, but the gasp of shock that escaped her lungs was just too little done too late.

"_Get back!_" Tatsuki screamed, lunging upwards with what strength she had, the knife going straight for Ulquiorra's stomach.

The Arrancar's eyes widen, and he dodged, not even bothering to use Sonido against such a weak attack. But Tatsuki was already far too close to him, and before he even knew what happened the knife stabbed at his left side, slicing through the material of his uniform effortlessly.

To his shock, that was not the only thing it sliced through.

There was a loud crack, and Tatsuki pulled the knife away from him, staring at it. The blade was completely gone; the only thing left of it was the handle. The teenager wasn't surprised at all. She hadn't expected it to work, not against an Arrancar's Hierro. Desperation was the only thing left to her, and she had no wish to kill this thing before her. All she wanted was for him to leave.

But Tatsuki's eyes widened as Ulquiorra stumbled back slightly, his eyes wide. His left arm clamped down on his side, his fist shooting into his pocket as he used Sonido to get behind Tatsuki.

"You fool. You're just as much as a clown as the rest of them," Ulquiorra told her coldly, making Tatsuki whirl around, dropping the broken pocket knife to the ground. She raised her fists and lunged, letting out a cry of anger.

Without warning, two firm arms grabbed hold of Tatsuki, a familiar calming reitsu falling over them. Tatsuki gasped and looked up, her face coming within inches of Uryu's, the man dressed in his Quincy uniform.

"That's enough, Tatsuki. It's alright, you don't have to fight anymore," he murmured, making Tatsuki's expression of rage melt away.

"Uryu…I…I!" her sentence died in her throat as she began to shake, tears streaming down her cheeks as he rage subsided.

Orihime scrambled to her feet, rushing to Ulquiorra, her eyes shining with concern and tears. Ulquiorra looked sideways at her as she grabbed his right arm, her hands trembling with shock.

"Ulquiorra, are you okay! I'm so sorry, I didn't think she'd try to fight you!" she pleaded, looking over him. Her eyes moved over his left arm before moving on, making him feel a slight surge of relief.

"I'm perfectly alright, Woman. Do not let it concern you. We have more pressing matters to deal with," Ulquiorra told her coldly, his eyes focused on the Quincy and Tatsuki. Tatsuki had broken down into a fresh bout of tears, sobbing in Uryu's grasp, her fists still clenched at her sides. Finally her fists unclenched, revealing deep purple bruises in her palms from when her nails had bruised her under the pressure of her clenched hands. Uryu held her back to him, allowing her to cry, looking down at her sadly before looking up at Ulquiorra, allowing his royal blue eyes to meet Ulquiorra's startling green ones.

"So you're alive I see. Do you want to discuss why that is here or back at the campsite with the others? You probably don't want to have to repeat yourself twice," Uryu asked regally, skipping the formalities and going straight to the point, his voice just holding that slight condescending tone he used with people he was not overly fond of.

"We'll discuss this at your campsite. You are correct in assuming I am not eager to repeat myself to you people," Ulquiorra replied, his voice cold. Uryu nodded before turning his gaze upon Orihime, his eyes instantly softening.

"Orihime, are you alright?" he asked, looking at her with concerned eyes. Orihime nodded, her hands still holding Ulquiorra's arm. She rested her head against it, letting out a sigh of relief, glad all of this was over. She couldn't wait to sit down with Tatsuki and clear everything up with her. She hated it when her friends were upset, and she wanted nothing more than to see Tatsuki smile again.

Uryu watched Orihime's behavior towards the former Cuatro Espada, watching as Orihime relaxed against him. The Quincy knew this would have happened. Ever since he saw the two of them reaching for one another, he had known there was a deep bond between the two of them that went far deeper than just prisoner and kidnapper. He had no idea how it could have developed, but right now he didn't care. All he was worried about was the fact that Orihime was latching herself on to a particularly dangerous Hollow, and that her emotional attachment to him was much deeper than what Ichigo had himself had first thought.

"That's good then. Come on; let's get back to the others. If they haven't woken up after _that, _I give up all hope for them," Uryu muttered, hinting towards Ulquiorra's burst of Spiritual pressure earlier. Tatsuki wiped away her tears, pressing the heel of her palms into the corners of her eyes to clear them. Uryu offered her his arm, but she declined, shaking her head slowly as she made off across the sand, sending dagger filled glares at Ulquiorra as she passed him.

The former Espada ignored her death glares, walking with his hands buried deep in his pockets, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Orihime walked besides him to his right, her face slowly lighting up once more with happiness. After this little incident surely everything would be alright, wouldn't it? Orihime had her doubts about what the others would think of Ulquiorra, and she felt a spear of worry stab at her gut. But they wouldn't be as cruel as to hurt him, would they? As long as he didn't try to pick a fight, they wouldn't attack him, right?

Orihime looked at Tatsuki and Uryu a head of them, and felt her stomach churn with doubt.

The red head turned to ask Ulquiorra something, but her question froze in her mouth, her eyes widening in confusion.

Ulquiorra was ramrod straight, his gaze focused ahead of him, a glassy look in his eyes. His breathing was shallower and louder than usual, and his lips were slightly parted, a bizarre expression for him. He appeared to be struggling with something, and every so often his eyes would widen slightly, his pupils shrinking unnervingly.

Orihime knew Ulquiorra very well, probably the most out of everyone, and she knew instantly that something was very, _very _wrong with him.

She looked over him once more, images of what had happened just minutes earlier flashing through her mind. She looked over at his left side, examining it carefully, watching the way Ulquiorra walked.

And then she spotted it. The difference was minute, but it was definitely there. The stoic Arrancar was swaying to the left slightly, his left arm thrust down further into his pocket than normal in an attempt to hide his left side from view. Along with this, she could see red beginning to seep across the arm of his uniform, the red spot beginning to grow and run down the length of his arm.

Ulquiorra was bleeding.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime cried, reaching around him for his arm, her eyes wide. Just as her fingers touched his arm, the Arrancar's knees buckled beneath him, the young man collapsing to his knees in the sand. Orihime dropped down next to him, her arm wrapped around his back, her eyes wide in fear.

"Uryu, Tatsuki! Help me, please!" she cried, pulling at Ulquiorra's left arm. But Ulquiorra held it there, refusing to let her see, his eyes closed. Orihime let out a little cry of frustration, pulling at his arm, unable to believe how stubborn he was being.

Uryu rushed over to them, dropping down on one knee. He instantly saw the blood spreading across the green eyed Arrancar's uniform, and he turned to Ulquiorra, glaring at him.

"Stop being a stubborn fool! You'll die from blood loss if you continue on like this! What the hell is wrong with you!" he accused angrily, making Ulquiorra's eyes flash open as he looked up, glaring at the Quincy before him.

"I am in no life threatening situation. I do not want or need any of your concern, human," he replied darkly, making Uryu scowl.

But Orihime would hear none of it. She pulled at Ulquiorra's arm again, her voice frantic, "Let me heal you, please! You're injured badly! Please Ulquiorra please!"

The Arrancar turned to stare at her, his eyes wide. He could clearly see the wild fear and urgency in her eyes, her pupils small with worry. He felt a pang of what felt strangely like guilt stab at his chest, and he looked away, closing his eyes as he let his arm relax.

Orihime immediately felt the change, and she lifted his arm slowly, making sure not to hurt him. Her eyes finally landed on his side, and she gasped, almost dropping his arm in horror.

The entire left side of his uniform was covered in blood, the dark body fluid leaking from a violent slash at his side just below his rib cage. His pale skin was split open and torn, and Orihime almost gagged when she saw how deep the wound was. How Ulquiorra had been able to hide it so well was beyond her, but she should have expected it. Ulquiorra would never show weakness, no matter what state he was in, be it life threatening or not.

Uryu looked at the wound and winced, "Why on earth did you hide that from us? That's just as bad as any sword slash! What in the world were you thinking!"

"Save your concern for someone else, trash," Ulquiorra ordered blankly, not even bothering to open his eyes.

Orihime grabbed the zipper of Ulquiorra's uniform and pulled it down, ignoring the feeling of his skin beneath her fingers. Ulquiorra's eyes snapped open, and he grabbed her hand, stopping her when her fingers reached his abdomen. His stomach twisted oddly as he stared at her, unable to believe how bold she was being.

"What is the meaning of this, Woman?" he questioned, making Orihime shake her head.

"I need to get to the wound! Your uniform is in the way! Please don't make this harder than what it has to be, Ulquiorra!" she pleaded, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.

Reluctantly, Ulquiorra let go of her hand, allowing her to unzip it all the way. This felt like torture. He hated weakness, and right now he was being fussed over in the most humiliating way imaginable. The thought of his charge healing him almost made him scowl. How could he have sunk so low in a matter of minutes? This world was going to be a lot more tiresome to deal with than what he had first thought.

Orihime pushed off his uniform, allowing the soft material to fall off his shoulders to the sand, leaving Ulquiorra half naked before her. She had seen Ulquiorra like this before, but all those times he had been fighting, moving faster than the eye could see. And now, despite the situation they were in, she couldn't help but blush.

Ulquiorra was definitely no body builder, but that didn't mean he didn't have a gorgeous figure. His stomach was lean and hard, and the abs of his chest stood out, his flat chest bare for all to see, his black number four tattoo standing out against his pale skin. The muscles of his arms were small and just the right size to be deemed attractive, not grossly large, but still large enough to gain any woman's attention. The sight of him in such a state made Orihime's heart pound just that little bit faster, her cheeks turning an even darker shade of pink as her mouth went dry.

The red head shook herself, unable to believe what she was doing. How could she be thinking about Ulquiorra like that! Of all people! Shame stabbed at her gut, and she looked away, moving over to Ulquiorra's wounded side. She moved his arm up slightly, letting it rest on her shoulder, feeling a wave of relief wash over her when her ward didn't argue. She stared at the wound for a second, before summoning her Shun Shun Rikka, calling out to her little fairies.

But a hand stopped her, and she looked up, shocked to see Tatsuki staring down at her with concerned eyes.

"Tatsuki, what are you-?"

"Orihime, don't heal him yet! The blade…it's still…!"

The red head froze, and she turned slowly back to Ulquiorra's wound, feeling her throat clench in horror, "Please don't say that! It can't be…?"

Uryu's eyes widened, and he dropped down next to Orihime, peering intently at Ulquiorra wound. Tatsuki dropped down next to him as well, throwing Orihime an apologetic look as guilt threatened to take over her.

"You mean it's still inside him!" he asked, turning to Tatsuki with wide eyes. The athlete nodded, her face chalk white.

"Yes. I really didn't expect this to happen, honestly I didn't! He's an Arrancar, for crying out loud! I'm so sorry!"

"Save your apologies, human. I hold no grudge against you," Ulquiorra muttered, looking down at his wounded side, almost seeming to examine it with new found curiosity. Tatsuki paled even more at his words as a new stab of guilt impaled her, making her turn away from the man she thought she hated.

"If the blade is in there, one of us will have to get it out. Orihime can't heal him while it's in there," Uryu told them; pushing his glasses up his nose as he calculated and ran over all the ways they could resolve the problem.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened visibly at the prospect of someone sticking their fingers inside him. Where they being serious? He was about to argue, but Orihime cut him off, staring at the wound with worry and determination.

"I'll do it. He's the most comfortable with me. And my fingers are smaller than any of yours-,"

"No, Orihime. You have a point, but you don't have any experience with this type of thing. My father owns a hospital; I've seen the procedure they use for this type of situation. Let me deal with it. It's for the best, I promise," he assured, making Orihime's shoulders slump in defeat.

"Fine…just…don't hurt him too much!" she said, looking up at Uryu with genuinely worry filled eyes.

Uryu smiled and nodded, before turning to the Arrancar, staring right into his cold blank eyes.

"If you struggle it will only make things harder for yourself. Just stay still and don't move a muscle. I'll be finished before you know it."

Ulquiorra simply glared at him, not saying a word. Uryu sighed and motioned for the two women to move aside. Orihime got up and darted to the space in front of Ulquiorra, grabbing hold of his right hand. The Arrancar stared at her briefly before looking away, closing is eyes.

The Quincy placed his hands over the wound and pulled the lips of it a part, making Ulquiorra suck in a deeper breath than usual through his nose. Uryu looked up at the Hollow, not sure how Ulquiorra would react to what he was about to do.

"This is probably going to hurt, so brace yourself," he warned, causing the irritated Arrancar to make an annoyed sound in his throat.

"Just get it over with, human. I'm tired of waiting."

Uryu shrugged, "Well, you asked for it," he stated as he slipped his fingers into the wound slowly, trying not to grimace at the sight of what he was doing.

Ulquiorra's eyes snapped open, his eyes widening as his slit-like pupils shrunk down to tiny pin pricks. He held his breath, not even daring to move a single muscle as he felt the geniuses fingers move painfully inside his wound. It wasn't the most painful thing he'd been through, but it was most certainly anything but pleasant.

It didn't take long for the Quincy to find the blade, and he almost raised his eyebrows at how deep inside the wound it was. With a sigh of relief he pulled the blade out slowly, pulling it free of Ulquiorra and dropping the dark blood stained blade to the sand. He stepped back and flicked his hand, sending dark droplets of Ulquiorra's blood flying onto the beach.

"Consider my dept to you paid for cutting down Ichigo before he could kill me. I owed you one, Ulquiorra. Consider us even," Uryu stated, making the Arrancar stare at him briefly before looking away, not bothering to say anything. Uryu didn't mind, and he turned to the ocean, hoping to clean himself.

"I'm finished. Orihime, you can take over from here," he called as he walked off to the water's edge, making the red head jump. This whole time she had had her eyes screwed shut, her hand grasping Ulquiorra's in a death grip, biting her lower lip as she held her breath for him. She looked up at Ulquiorra, sighing in relief when she saw his expression return to normal, his startled expression being taken over by his characteristic blank mask.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft and full of concern. Ulquiorra turned to look at her, his green eyes as hard as marbles.

"I am fine, Woman. Do not worry yourself over something like this."

Orihime smiled and nodded, relief threatening to make her dizzy. She shifted over to his wounded side, wincing at the sight of so much blood. She raised her hands to him and closed her eyes, digging deep within herself.

"Sôten Kishun, I reject," she murmured, taking hold of the power she possessed.

Ulquiorra watched in unbridled curiosity as her hairpins began to glow golden, two of the petals shooting out and turning into small winged projectiles. They rushed to his side and spread out, enveloping the Hollow in a glowing disk of golden light. Warmth instantly began to course through his body, the light seeming to penetrate right through him. He felt completely weightless, all the pain from before gone, his muscles and body relaxing as the warmth took over him completely.

So this was what her power felt like.

Ulquiorra watched as the wound stitched itself closed, the spilt blood getting sucked back into the wound. Finally, the last fragment reattached itself, and the glowing oval disappeared, taking the warmth with it.

Orihime sighed in relief, allowing a smile to cross her face. Ulquiorra touched his side tentatively before moving himself, waiting for the sting of pain. But it never came, and he looked up at the woman before him, his eyes softening ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Woman," he murmured, making Orihime's spirits soar. Once again, before she could stop herself, she darted forwards and clamped her arms around him, bare skin meeting bare skin.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he felt her skin brush over his, her skin sinfully warm and soft. He felt her hands fan out over his naked back, her fingers unconsciously caressing his ivory skin. The Arrancar sucked in a breath, unable to believe how soft and warm she was. His abdomen gave a surprising twitch once again, and he shied away from it, disgusted by the way his body was reacting to her.

"Release me at once, Woman," he ordered, making Orihime smile, blissfully ignorant to what she was doing to him. She pulled away from him and smiled, her face lit up with happiness.

"You scared me Ulquiorra! I can't believe you got hurt like that! I was so worried! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Uryu ignored the two of them, walking back from the ocean from when he had washed his hands, cleaning them of blood. He walked over to the shattered blade and looked at it, his brow pulled down in a frown.

Tatsuki walked up to the Quincy and stood beside him, her face also twisted in a frown. They both stared at the blade, the same thought running through their minds.

"Tatsuki, was that blade a special one? Like a Zanpakutou?"

"Of course not! It was just a cheap camping knife that I bought last week. It's nothing special at all! I knew it would break the minute it touched his skin! I never expected it to go through him at all!"

Uryu nodded, his fears confirmed. He stared at the bloody knife for a bit longer before picking it up and pocketing it, wiping off the sand and congealed blood.

"I wonder if they realize just how bad this is," Uryu muttered, turning back to stare at Ulquiorra and Orihime, the two of them standing to their feet, Orihime chattering away.

"I think the Hollow does…that would explain why he never showed it to us," Tatsuki admitted, gazing at Ulquiorra intently as he bent to pick up his soiled uniform. Uryu nodded, stepping forwards to question the former soldier.

"Ulquiorra, would you mind telling us exactly what's wrong with you?" Uryu questioned seriously, making the green eyed man turn to him, pulling his uniform onto his body by not zipping it closed. Orihime frowned, not really quite getting what Uryu was getting at.

"What do you mean by…?" Orihime asked, before trailing off, realization hitting her like a speeding train as she put two and two together. She turned to look at her ward, her eyes wide, questions shooting through her mind like bullets.

"You're Hierro…what happened to it?" she murmured, staring at the skin of his exposed stomach.

Ulquiorra looked down at her, his eyes dark, "If I knew I would tell you, Woman. I am as troubled about this as you are."

Uryu's eyes widened, "So you're telling us you don't know?"

Ulquiorra turned slightly to glare at him, his expression blank, "You heard me, human. Don't make me repeat myself to you. I am in no mood for you people's dramatics."

Uryu sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. This was going to make things a lot more complicated. Not only was the most powerful Arrancar ever created standing amongst them, but he was also damaged. How much worse could things get? If they wanted any hope of clearing things up by the end of the day, they'd have to get Kisuke Urahara, and that could lead to problems. Who knew what drama would unfold when the creator of the Hogyoku was greeted with the birth child of his damned creation. The excitement and eagerness in the air would be palpable. Naturally the scientist would want to study Ulquiorra at great length, and of course the stoic Arrancar would not take it very well.

But this was all they could do if they wanted any hope of helping the Hollow. Uryu had to admit that he wasn't Ulquiorra's biggest fan, but he didn't hate him. In fact, he was partially grateful to him. If it wasn't for him Orihime would have died in Las Noches within a day without his care. And to top it off he was making Orihime happier than he had seen her since the last few days before she was kidnapped. It was like he had brought her soul back with him, filling the empty shell of a woman they had been left to live with. It made him happy to see Orihime smile again, and if she smiled because of Ulquiorra, Uryu decided he would deal with the Arrancar for a little while longer.

That is, as long as he kept his hands to himself and his sword in its sheath. And the further away he was from Ichigo, the better it would be for everybody.

Uryu was knocked from his train of thought as Tatsuki punched his arm lightly, signaling for him to follow her. He nodded before turning back to Ulquiorra, giving him his serious glare.

"You'd better come with us. You have a lot of explaining to do."

Ulquiorra made a soft noise in his throat, walking towards them with Orihime falling in beside him, "I could have figured that out for myself."

The Quincy sighed irritably, trying to prepare himself for the road ahead. If the former Espada continued to talk like this to everyone, living with him would become almost unbearable.

"Ichigo's going to have a cow when he sees this," Uryu muttered under his breath to Tatsuki, falling in beside her. The raven haired woman scoffed, looking up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You think? He's going to be pissed off out of his mind! If you thought I was violent, wait till you see what he's going to do to the bastard when he sees him!"

"Ha, not if I can help it. I've had enough theatrics for one day," Uryu muttered, closing his eyes as they walked. Tatsuki laughed before looking back at the Arrancar and his charge, forcing down a scowl as she watched Orihime do a little dance around Ulquiorra, literally bouncing in front of him, her breasts heaving up and down dramatically. Ulquiorra just glared at the red head, not amused by her performance in the slightest bit.

"I don't get it. What the hell does she see in him? He hurt her and ruined her life, and yet the very sight of him is enough to make smile like that. It's just…wrong!" Tatsuki growled, looking down at the ground, clenching her fists in her pockets. Uryu sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"It's hard to explain. As much as you hate him for what he did, you have to realize that he regrets hurting her, as unbelievable as that may sound. Ulquiorra never even tried to kill her. I guess he must have hated her at first, but eventually his feeling must have…changed towards her as time went by. Now he's stuck with her, and we just have to deal with it."

Tatsuki's eyebrows shot up, and she stared at him in shock, her mouth agape, "Wait just one fucking minute. Are you trying to tell me he fell in _love _with her?"

Uryu shook his head, his eyes closed, "I wish it was as simple as that. It might not be love, but from what I saw back then, it's definitely more than just the caring relationship between ward and charge. He definitely feels something towards her, and for a man like him, that's like the world collapsing around him. Does he look like the emotional type to you?"

Tatsuki turned to stare at the Arrancar for a second, glaring at him before turning back to Uryu incredulously, "You've got a point there. I hate to admit it, but I think I agree with you! But if that's the case, then why doesn't he just take her back? Why is he staying here?"

For the first time in their conversation, Uryu smiled, the corners of his lips pulled up in a genuine smile.

"Despite everything Ulquiorra is, he cares about Orihime just as much as we do. We share a common goal, the three of us. As much as I hate it, he's more similar to us than what we would like to think. Naturally he'd want to make her happy, and this is the only way. In the first few moments before he died, Ulquiorra showed the possibility of actually willingly coming to our side, despite his allegiance with Aizen. It was only there for a second, but I saw it. That's why I'm not surprised he's doing this. If Orihime wants to stay, he will bite the bullet and stay here as well."

Tatsuki looked down at the sand, cursing under her breath. She hated where this was going.

"Damn it, I can't believe I'm saying this, but…I'll give him a break. But just because I'm letting him stay here doesn't mean I have to like it. As long as he stays the hell away from me and keeps his hands where I can see them I'll keep my thoughts to myself," she growled quietly before throwing a glance back over her shoulder, watching as Ulquiorra spoke to Orihime, making the sunset haired teenagers eyes go wide at what he had said.

Uryu smiled, looking at the over-protective fighter beside him, "I thought you would say that…"

"_Fall!_

_Watch the end from dying eyes,  
__now the dark is taking over  
Show me where forever dies  
Take the fall and run to heaven  
All is lost again but I'm not giving in__I have lost the will to change  
And I am not proud, cold blooded, fake  
I will shut the world away_

I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away

And I'll survive, paranoid

I will not bow, I will not break  
I will shut the world away  
I will not fall, I will not fade  
I will take your breath away

And I'll survive, paranoid  
I have lost the will to change and I am not proud, cold blooded, fake  
I will shut the world away

Fall!"

Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow

* * *

**OH MY GOSH, CLIFFHANGER! (dives off of it into the ocean, laughing wickedly) What's wrong with Ulquiorra! Why is his Hierro damaged! How will he deal with Ichigo and the others? Will Uryu be able to control Tatsuki? Does Tatsuki really hate Ulquiorra as much as she thinks she does? Find out in the next dramatic episode of...just kidding, this most certainly isn't some soap opera! But I sure made it sound dramatic! :D**

**The song used is not a UlquiHime song, it is a song I thought fitted well with Ulquiorra, and with the way he behaved in this chapter and the final episodes, I thought it suited him nicely! :) **

**I hope you guys like this chapter just as much as the last one! And thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys are amazing! And the reviews I got almost made we weep with joy! You guys are way too nice! :D You all deserve a Ulquiorra plushie! :)**

**And Uryu deserves a gold star for being as noble as he is, in the final episode AND in this chapter! (sticks a big smiley face star on Uryu's forehead) I hope he wasn't too OOC in this chapter! I deduced after watching the final episode, that since Uryu was kinder towards Ulquiorra and knew how Orihime felt that he would be the kindest one to Ulquiorra between Tatsuki and himself. Sure he doesn't like Ulquiorra, but he's still going to let him stay. :)**

**I won't be able to update now for a while. I'm going on holiday this afternoon (YAY FOR LAST MINUTE UPDATES!), and next week Wednesday school starts! 0_0 I don't want to go back, please Lord don't make me go back! T_T *sigh* I miss the good old days (last year) when I used to LOVE school! I really did! But after my dreadful parents took me away, I have to settle for a big city school where everyone is disrespectful and no work gets done, and almost more than half the grade doesn't care about ANYTHING. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a wet blanket, I just hate it when students become rude and get smart ass with their teachers and don't give a shit about what they are going to do with their lives! You guys have no idea what I've seen them do! 0_0 I have never wanted to hit anything so much in my enitre life (even more than Ichigo, and that's HUGE)!**

**Anyway, moving on! I hope you liked this chapter, and please review! I have never been so happy with reviews in my entire writing existance! Thank you so much to all of you! :D You guys really make my day!**

**I'll try to update as soon as I get back! Bye bye, UlquiHime fans! This pairing makes the World go round! Lol! ;P**


	6. 5 The Lonely Soldier

**Before we get things underway, I just want to say how terribly, terribly, TERRIBLY sorry I am for the ridiculous wait for this chapter! In fact, it's been so long, many of you believed I was abandoning this story. And for that, I cannot find the words to say how completely sorry I am. I can't make excuses for why it took so long, but all I can say is that time as a way of running away with you, and that my delightful school has an even worse way of keeping me busy. And now that I'm a senior and am being forced to do full on maths despite my poor maths mark, time seems even more scarce. But I won't let this atrocity happen again, that I can promise you!**

**Thank you to all of you who stuck through with this story, and thank you for not giving up on me! I don't deserve such an amazing group of readers!**

**And I also have a suggestion for all of you! Or more preciously, a request. Please do yourselves all a favor and listen to the song Forgiven by Within Temptation. It's one of the most beautiful Ulquihime songs I have ever heard! It's enough to drive you to tears! I cried when I first heard it! I even plan on making an Ulquihime AMV with it! So please, after you have read this chapter (or preferably before), go listen to it! You won't regret it! :)**

**The Lonely Soldier**

_"Couldn't save you from the start  
Love you so it hurts my soul  
Can you forgive me for trying again  
Your silence makes me hold my breath  
Oh, time has passed you by_

_Ooh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world  
Ooh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own  
Here I am left in silence_

_You gave up the fight  
You left me behind  
All that's done's forgiven  
You'll always be mine  
I know deep inside  
All that's done's forgiven"_

Ichigo lay in his sleeping bag, dozing lazily, odd groans and murmurs escaping his lips as he snuggled into his pillow, a dribble of drool slipping from the corner of his mouth. Suddenly, he felt someone shoving him violently, and he shook his head on his pillow, painting the pillow with fresh drool.

The pushing and shoving became more insistent, right up to the point where he could hear someone shouting. From the deep angered tone of voice, he could guess it was Rukia. But this didn't faze him at all, and he waved a lazy hand in her face, murmuring incoherent orders that sounded somewhat like "Midget, "and "Go away."

But the next thing he knew, teeth clamped down on his hand, and he shot up in bed, letting out a roar of shock and agony. He saw Rukia with his hand in between her teeth, her eyes blazing with anger and an almost wicked sense of mirth.

She spat his hand out her mouth, and he whipped his hand away from her, clutching it to his chest as he pointed an accusing finger at her, his eyes comically wide.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Midget! That hurt like a bastard! You're not a bloody dog you know!"

Rukia glared right back at him, putting her fists on her nightgown clad hips, looking utterly comical with the pink Chappy the Bunny logo standing out on her chest. She pointed her own smaller finger at him, shouting right back at him.

"You were acting like an idiot, lying there like a rock drooling all over the place! You should have woken up ages ago! Honestly, I can't believe you're a Soul Reaper at times like this! Go get you're bloody head examined!"

Ichigo sat up, revealing his bare upper body to her. Rukia's eyes stared at his sculpted chest for a second before glaring at him again. There was no way _that_ trick was going to work on her, not at a time like this.

"No way, _you _should go get your head examined! Freaking running around biting people while they're sleeping! What the bloody hell are you, a vampire! And besides, why the hell should I have woken up?"

Rukia let out a growl, waving her arms about her, "Look around you, idiot! Can't you feel that!"

For the first time, Ichigo paid attention to what was going on around him, looking away from his petite lover. It took him seconds to locate the source of Rukia's distress, and his eyes widened, feeling as if the whole world around him was being crushed.

"No way…"he murmured his eyes wide. Rukia nodded, her eyes shadowed with the pressure compressing down on her, trying to push her to the tent floor.

"Spiritual Pressure. And not just any Spiritual Pressure either! This is a-,"

"Arrancar…" Ichigo murmured, completing her unfinished sentence. He felt horror trying to claw at his insides, but he ignored it, focusing on the all too familiar reitsu. He felt around it for a moment, trying to place it and dig it out from his memory.

"I know this…" Ichigo murmured his eyes distant as he stared off into space. Rukia turned to look at him, startled by the far-away look on his face and the tone of his voice.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"This reitsu…I've felt it before. I just can't…I swear I-,"

Without warning, his eyes widened in realization, unbridled shock and horror washing over his face. He lunged for his Soul Reaper badge and pressed it to his chest, forcing his soul out of his body with a wild gush of air.

Rukia felt a stab of panic slice through her, and she rushed to his side, grabbing his arm, "Ichigo what's wrong! Who is it!"

But Ichigo didn't reply. He threw open the tent and took off across the grass, not even waiting for Rukia to leave her Gigai and follow him.

"Damn it! Ichigo!" Rukia screamed, grabbing her Chappy sweets and forcing a pill out of it. Soon she shot from the tent in her Shinigami uniform, looking around for him, trying her best to remain standing under the earth shattering pressure.

But Ichigo was long time gone.

* * *

Ulquiorra and Orihime walked beside each other, Ulquiorra listening with minimal interest as Orihime told him about all the wonderful things in the World of the Living, waving her arms for dramatic effect, smiling up at him with her bubbly smile, not even slightly perturbed by the fact that Ulquiorra honestly couldn't care less about everything she was telling him. He would let her talk gladly, but there was no way he was going to act even remotely enthusiastic.

And, naturally, Orihime had expected nothing more and nothing less.

"And we have stuff like ice cream! You're just going to love it! It comes in all sorts of different colours and flavours! There's chocolate, strawberry, vanilla! And you get toppings too, but I don't really like those toppings very much! They always look at me funny if I ask them for chilli source so I don't even bother anymore! But don't worry; I've got lots of my favourite toppings at home so we can make it together!"

"You do realize that I have no wish to try your human substances, don't you, Woman?"

Orihime pouted, her shoulders slumping, "But you _have _to eat _something_ Ulquiorra!" she whined, making the Arrancar close his eyes in slight irritation.

Despite her bubbly and childish attitude, Ulquiorra had to admit he appreciated her company. Once upon a time he would have broken her neck on the spot for her childish and disruptive behaviour, but now he found her antics completely tolerable. This new Orihime glowed with a light of her own, her smile so radiant and filled with joy it could give the sun a run for its money. She was far more beautiful in this light than what she had been in her cell, locked away from the world, her body glowing from the light of the sickly moon. Yes, this was much better, and if it meant seeing her smile like this all the time, he would gladly sit through her babbling for as long as it took for her to run out of steam.

Ulquiorra was about to make a comment when he felt something in the air shift, another large reitsu trying to push through his own. He stopped in mid stride and stared, his eyes widening slightly, knowing instantly what was about to happen.

Uryu and Tatsuki also stopped, freezing in place as they too felt the familiar pressure. They threw a glance back at them before stepping aside, moving away so that Ulquiorra had a clear view of what was coming.

Orihime looked between them, worry furrowing her brow, "Oh no…Ulquiorra-,"

But before she could finish, sand sprayed up around them, souring like a large dust cloud through the air, making Orihime cry out as she covered her head, feeling the sand fall all over her, falling in her hair and slipping down her clothes. She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to get the sand in her eyes or mouth, and she waited till the sand finally stopped falling from the sky.

She opened her eyes, letting out a soft, confused sound before emitting a high pitched noise of shock, her eyes widening.

Ichigo stood a few paces away from them, his sword raised, the slim black Zanpakutou gleaming menacingly in the sunlight, the edge razor sharp. His eyes were wide with disbelief, his lips slightly parted, as if he was struggling to breath. From his stance it seemed he had been preparing himself for a fight, but the sight of his onetime enemy had just been too much for him.

Mere seconds later, they were all surrounded by Soul Reapers, Toshiro, Rangiku, Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichikka standing around them in a circle, their Zanpakutous raised, posed for battle, each one pointed at Ulquiorra's throat. They stared at the two rivals in mild shock and determination, while Rangiku could only stare at the Arrancar, her eyes wide in pain and horror, her sword hands shaking around Haineko, her heart tearing up as the sight of Ulquiorra dug up memories of her dead lover.

Ulquiorra stared across at the teenager, his hand frozen just above Murcielago, preparing to draw it from its sheath. But he didn't, overruling his instincts, glaring into Ichigo's chocolate brown eyes as he stared him down.

Because Ulquiorra wouldn't be the one to raise his sword. Not after everything that had happened. And he knew, as sure as he knew his own existence, that he couldn't break Orihime, not again. If he released his anger on the infuriating Shinigami now, Orihime would be torn apart. She'd seen enough violence from her friends for now, and he was not going to provoke a fight, even though he wanted to with almost every fibre of his being.

Oh, what he'd do for that Woman.

Ichigo stared at Ulquiorra, thousands of different emotions hitting full force at one. He felt fear; fear because he was facing the man who had killed him twice so effortlessly. He felt confusion, because he had watched Ulquiorra die with his own eyes not even a year ago. He felt anger, anger towards the spiteful Arrancar, wanting nothing more than to scream and shout at him and tell him just how much of a fucking idiot he really was. He felt extreme, overpowering guilt. Guilt because he had been the one to murder Ulquiorra in cold blood, beating him again and again until his body had been so worn out it had turned to ash. He had heard from Orihime and Uryu what he had done, both describing it to him in such detail that it had sent him to his knees, his shoulders heaving as he wept bitterly over what he had done. How he had destroyed the Cuatro Espada, blasting him with a cero when he had been completely helpless, how he had even tried to cut up and mutilate his corpse. How far would he have gone? Would he have cut Ulquiorra down to a bloody pile? Would he have held his head to the sky and roared? Would he have cut up Uryu and Orihime and thrown all three of them to the wind? He knew the answer, and it made him sick to his stomach.

And lastly, he felt extreme, mind numbing relief; relief because he knew he had not killed a man, had not been successful in murdering Ulquiorra Cifer. Because here he stood, as clean and flawless as the first time he had seen him. Sure, his clothes were torn and blood stained, and he had no idea how that happened, but he was _there_, in all his flawless, icy glory, giving him the most potent death glare Ichigo had ever received in all his seventeen years.

And _damn_, did he fucking deserve it!

As these final thoughts went through his mind, Ichigo lowered his sword, his shoulders slumping, his eyes softening. Ulquiorra's eyes widened in obvious shock, not quite believing what he was seeing. Questions raced through his mind, but they were silenced as Ichigo gave him a knowing look, a slight smile gracing his lips.

"What was that you once said? That I never did as you anticipated, right up to the end?" he said, his words sounding almost as if a smirk hid behind it.

Ulquiorra glared at him, his pupils narrowing, "What about it, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Without warning, a grin spread across Ichigo's face, a grin that was both terrifying and friendly at the same time. But despite this, his eyes had hardened with a deadly seriousness that made Orihime take a small step back.

"Well, I can tell you this beforehand, I will _never _do as you anticipate, whether you damn well like it or not! And does this _look_ like the damn end to you? No it doesn't, and you'd better start explaining why that is, before I change my mind!"

Ulquiorra stared at him, letting this news sink in, trying to stop himself from blasting the insolent Shinigami right off the beach for his idiotic banter. But he felt Orihime step forwards to stand next to him, her hand lightly touching his arm, just out of Ichigo's line of vision, encouraging him silently.

Closing his eyes briefly, Ulquiorra took in a breath, before turning back to the orange haired teenager, nodding once, the Woman's touch giving him the message he needed.

"As you wish, Soul Reaper."

* * *

Back at camp everyone had settled down in a circle in the shade, the Soul Reapers having finally lowered their weapons and taken seats, still eying Ulquiorra suspiciously, not at all convinced that he wasn't going to lunge at them and snap their necks. They sat in a circle, Ulquiorra and Ichigo facing each other, both of them not even daring to look away for even an instant, their eyes glaring onto one another's.

The tension hung over them all in a thick, smothering blanket, making Orihime want to sigh. She looked to the Arrancar beside her and felt her eyes soften. How could she have ever have expected anything less? Ulquiorra was stubborn enough to give a mule a run for its money, and Ichigo wasn't far behind. All she could do was hope, praying that the two of them didn't decide to blast one another off the face of the planet.

Finally, the silence was broken as Ichigo shook his head, a comical, confused look on his face.

"Let me just get this straight…you _reformed_?"

Ulquiorra glared at him, his patience worn so thin it was barely even there, "This was the second time I've had to repeat my story for you, Kurosaki. Do not make me repeat myself yet again."

Ichigo raised his hands in defence, "Geez, relax! It's not my fault you've got a stick shoved so far up your ass you can barely sit properly! Let me start again. If you _did _reform, what the hell are you doing here! Last time I checked, you were Aizen's favourite play thing! You worshipped the ground he walked on! What the hell made you drag your sorry butt here?"

If glares could kill, Ichigo would have died in all three of his possible lifetimes.

"Watch what you say to me, Soul Reaper. I am in no mood to deal with your foolish antics. And to answer your question, my reasons for coming here are my own, and are no concern of yours. All you need to concern yourself with is the fact that I have no intention of harming either you or your friends," Ulquiorra stated, his eyes unconsciously shifting towards Orihime, before shifting back to Ichigo in a flash, the Arrancar realizing his mistake.

But Ichigo had caught the glance, and his eyes narrowed momentarily before looking away, looking up at the blue sky over head. He knew Ulquiorra was trying to cover his real reason up, but if Ichigo was honest with himself, he seriously didn't want to know why he came here. The longer he had to stay out of the workings of Ulquiorra's mind, the better it would be for everyone.

"And how can we be sure you're not lying? You could just be bidding your time until you can kill us all in our sleep or something stupid like that?"

"Because if that were the case, I would have killed you the minute I saw you. You know better than to underestimate me, Kurosaki."

His response was cold and to the point, and Ichigo had to admit it made a lot of sense, coming from him. If he wanted to kill them, they would have been blasted into oblivion a long time ago.

"Fine, whatever you say. It's not like I can kick you out or anything…is it alright if he stays here?" Ichigo asked, cocking an eyebrow as he turned to Toshiro.

The silver haired Captain shrugged a shoulder, not looking at all impressed, "I can't speak for the whole of Soul Society, but I don't see much harm in this. He's a Hollow, but he appears to have a large amount of restraint. But just know that he's _your_ problem to deal with, not Soul Society's. You can be the ones to organise a suitable Gigai and housing for him. But we will still be keeping a close eye on him."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, "I guess so. It's going to be a real pain in the butt though. Urahara is going to have a field day when he hears about this. He's the only one who can organise all that junk."

Everyone turned to look at Ulquiorra, a brief flash of sympathy blooming inside them. Of course Kisuke would be ecstatic to see the birth child of his precious invention. They could only imagine all the things the scientist would want to do to Ulquiorra.

That is, if he could even get his hands on the lightning quick Espada, which they highly doubted he could.

"Fine, that's settled then. You guys can leave in an hour. There's no point staying here now. We'll head on back to Soul Society to inform Commander General Yamamoto about this. Meanwhile, you had better start searching for a place for him to stay, because he most certainly isn't coming to Soul Society."

Ichigo's jaw dropped, and he tried desperately to search for words, spluttering uselessly, "B-but we were...this was meant to be…_what the hell, in an hour! _We were only meant to leave on Monday!"

Toshiro gave him an icy glare, a vein on his temple pulsing angrily, "Do you honestly think you can keep this up now that he's here? You have to get him to Urahara's shop _today_! And the faster we find out what's wrong with his Iron Skin, the better! Or have you forgotten about that?"

Ichigo slumped, closing his eyes and shaking his head. Of course, how could he have over looked that? Ulquiorra had begrudgingly told them about his new found vulnerability, and now they had to help him. The thought of Ulquiorra being weak was…just…_wrong _in so many different ways, it made his head spin. For a moment, staring at the Espada across from him, he had felt genuine worry stab at his gut. Was it his fault? Had his attacks on the Espada permanently damaged him? He could only hope that wasn't the case.

"Alright, alright I get it! We'll pack up in a minute…"

Toshiro nodded in approval, standing to his feet, "Glad you finally caught up. Now, figure out where he's going to stay so I can give my report in to the Commander. And make it quick, we haven't got all day!"

Ichigo looked around at his friends, scratching the back of his head, "Right… so who's the lucky bastard who gets to take him home? And don't even try to look at _me_; he's not staying in my house! I already have Rukia staying there; I'm not taking in anymore strays!"

Uryu shook his head, sighing as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "I'd let him stay at my place, but my father wouldn't be very happy about it. He is a Quincy after all, he'd sooner pin him up on our wall than let him come in our house alive. Sorry, Ulquiorra."

"What about Urahara?" Renji suggested, but was silenced by the others, who gave him a look of utter disbelief.

"Did you seriously just suggest that, Pineapple Head? There's no way we'll let him stay there! He'll get harassed! And besides, he isn't as much as a moocher as you are!" Ichigo smirked, crossing his arms smugly, making Renji glare at him, muttering something incredibly rude under his breath.

They sat for a moment longer, all staring at Ulquiorra, who simply stared right back at them, his hands buried in his pockets and his back ramrod straight, legs crossed elegantly. They stared at him, taking his appearance in, before Ichigo threw his head back and let out a growl of frustration, clenching his fists.

"Fuck this! What the hell are we supposed to do now? It's not like we can just leave him! Where the hell's he going to sleep, in a freaking _box_!"

"…he's staying with me."

The others turned sharply at the sound of Orihime's voice, their eyes wide. Even Ulquiorra seemed curious, his eyes moving to the side as he stared down at the Woman beside him, his eyes flashing slightly.

But of course, Ichigo was having none of it.

"Hell no! No way, Orihime! That's the last place I'll even _think _of letting him go!"

Orihime's eyes widened, before narrowing in new found anger, "_He's staying with me_! I know him best; I won't let you pass him around like he means nothing! I have every right to keep him with me!"

"Are you mental? He's a _Hollow_! I won't let him live anywhere near you! He kidnapped you and held you captive, he tried to _kill_ us, and you want to be his _roommate_! Screw that!" Ichigo growled, his eyes flashing. He'd stood to his feet now, and Orihime followed him up, her fists clenched; their faces close together as they argued, fists held at their sides. Ulquiorra watched from the ground, his eyes wide in shock, his pupils shrinking down to tiny pin pricks and his lips parted slightly in disbelief.

"Woman…"

But Orihime ignored him, so caught up in her argument that she didn't see anything else beside her former protector, trying to coddle her yet again to her utter fury, "I don't want you to tell me what I can and cannot do! I'm strong enough on my own! And I've forgiven him for everything! Don't you understand that! I decided long ago that he's staying with me, I have to look after him!"

And then Ichigo said something that sent her fiery blood cold.

"You have to _look after_ him? Who do you think you are; his babysitter? He's not your goddamn brother!"

Orihime stumbled back, as if stung. Everyone went silent, their eyes wide in shock, unable to believe how far this had gone. It took Ichigo a moment, but then realization finally dawned upon him, and he blinked, his eyes going wide in horror.

"Oh no…Orihime I didn't…I'm sorry!"

She nodded, gnawing at her lower lip. She sat down hard next to Ulquiorra, all her fury gone, replaced with a deep, heart wrenching sadness.

"I...never thought of him as anything like that…I just…I don't know Ichigo…I really don't know…"

The Vizard sat down heavily, his head in his hands, allowing his fingers to curl in his orange hair in frustration. He should never have sunk so low. What had made him say that! He had been so shocked by her determination and strength that he'd retaliated without thinking, only realizing too late that he was still dealing with Orihime. Soft little Orihime, who'd been hurt so many times she'd lost count, the sweet little angel who would never hurt a soul. The sweet little Orihime, who, when pushed, would face off and fight countless armies to stand up for what she believed in and what she thought was right.

And obviously, she wanted this with all her heart…

Goddamn it, he hated being soft.

"Oh…damn it Orihime please don't make me regret this…"

The stunning red head looked up, her eyes going wide, "Ichigo…"

"I'll let him stay with you…but if he so much as touches you, if he even _looks_ at you funny, he's in the gutter, you hear me? Don't make me regret this, or so help me I'll-"

But his words fell on deaf ears as Orihime turned to Ulquiorra, wrapping her arms around his waist, beaming with joy as she looked up into his startled face, "Did you hear that Ulquiorra! You're staying with me! He said you can stay! Can you believe it!"

Ulquiorra stared down at her, his eyes wide, before narrowing them, his voice cold, "Do you honestly think I would have let him take me anywhere except to you, Woman? He has no authority over me. I was always fully intending on staying with you, no matter what that boy said."

Orihime looked up at him, wide eyed, ignoring Ichigo's indignant cries, "You mean that? Do you really mean that, Ulquiorra?"

The Espada said nothing in reply, simply staring at her, but she didn't need him to say anything. She knew him all too well to know that he wouldn't bother answering such a pointless question. If he didn't mean something he wouldn't even waste the effort saying it, and she knew that more than anyone else.

And besides, she didn't mind his silence. In fact, his silence was an answer in itself, and it made her heart leap with joy.

"Oh, thank you Ulquiorra! This is going to be amazing!" she cried, hugging him all the tighter, making his eyes widen in shock yet again. He blinked once, staring down at her, before allowing his one arm to encircle her, hugging her in return, not caring that the humans and Soul Reapers were staring at them as if they had both just fallen out the sky.

Ichigo went silent, watching them, his eyes slightly wide before he turned away, scowling, his eyes meeting with everyone else's.

And one thought raced through all their minds.

_If he's not your brother, what is he to you, Orihime?_

* * *

Ulquiorra sat on the grass just above the beach line, his arms resting on his knees, his blank green eyes staring out at the ocean before him. The wind ruffled his messy ebony hair, making it worse than it already was, sending strands of it blowing lazily across his line of vision.

The former Espada let out a breath, before looking behind him, allowing his eyes to roam the campsite. He saw that the Shinigami and their human companions were almost finished packing away their bizarre and pointless belongings, stuffing them in the back of what he could guess was meant to be a 'vehicle'. Ichigo's father, former Captain Isshin Kurosaki, had already taken his place in the driver's seat, slamming his fists repeatedly on the steering wheel, causing the most barbaric racket the unfortunate Espada had heard in quite some time, the noises coming from a 'car horn'. He also noticed that the Soul Reaper Captain and his subordinates were nowhere to be seen, the Shinigami having returned to Soul Society to give their report on the situation to their Commander. The remainder of the orange haired Vizard's friends scuttled about to and fro, bickering amongst themselves, each and every one of them dressed in even smaller articles of clothing than the next.

But the one he focused on was his charge, his only reason for being here. His eyes followed the fiery red head as she struggled to drag a large blue food bag to the van, dragging it across the grass, her face contorted comically as she struggled with the heavy bag. Ulquiorra was tempted to get up and help her, but he decided to watch from afar instead, finally looking away when that human named Chad picked up the bag for her effortlessly, causing the woman to beam up at him. But just as he was about to turn away, the woman caught sight of him staring and waved enthusiastically, her ample chest heaving, lips pulled up in a joyful smile. He froze momentarily before looking away completely, closing his eyes in irritation.

Because it had finally dawned on him just what exactly he was getting himself into.

The Cuatro Espada felt as if he had effectively dug his own grave. Defenceless and vulnerable, he had literally thrown himself down to the mercy of the Shinigami, leaving himself bare, completely open to attack. Now here he was, preparing to run head first into a completely foreign and distasteful world, a world he hated, a world which filled him with disgust and loathing.

He was going in all alone. A lonely soldier turned War Prisoner left behind after the dreaded Winter War.

And yet, he knew this was a lie. He _wasn't _alone at all.

Because he had the Woman, didn't he? He remembered how she had thrown herself at her former beloved for him, launching herself into an argument that had led her to be hurt by one of her closest friends. She hadn't deserved it in the slightest, but she'd been hurt all the same, and as much as he feared admitting it, seeing the look of utter pain and hurt on her face had made him want to snap the arrogant Vizard in two more than ever before.

And as daunting as this whole situation was, he found the idea of spending time in the Woman's company strangely exciting. He wouldn't even dare to think about living with anyone else besides the red headed angel. If it had been anyone else, he would have turned around and disappeared through a Garganta faster than the eye could blink, but now that he had the Woman to hold his hand through this, he found the idea of living in this world far less unbearable than he'd initially thought it would be. If he didn't know better, he'd say he was _looking forward _to staying in this disgusting place.

And naturally, he _didn't _know better.

Lost in his own thoughts and internal struggles, Ulquiorra didn't notice the soft sound of foot falls as a lone figure walked up the grass towards him, the Cuatro Espada only noticing the other presence when the shadow fell across him. Looking up sharply, his eyes wider than what he would have liked, Ulquiorra found Ichigo looming over him, the strawberry blonde Shinigami standing over him with a serious expression. Green eyes glared up at the teenager, before he turned away, not even bothering to look at the boy as he settled down on the grass next to him.

Silence reigned over the two of them, until Ulquiorra heard Ichigo's loud, frustrated sigh, and knew the boy was about to speak.

"Hey…Ulquiorra. About what happened…that day on the dome…"

Ulquiorra gave a huff, still not looking at the Shinigami, "I don't want or need any of your apologies, Kurosaki. You had no control over your actions, and I do not expect you to ever understand what I stood and fought for. I have no use for your apologies."

Ulquiorra heard a low growl from the teenager, but still refused to look at him, "Damn it, I'm not even going to listen to your badass little speeches! I'm telling you I'm sorry for beating you senseless the way I did, and yet you still give me your I-am-Emptiness-and-couldn't-give-a-Damn crap? Why can't you just shut up and except it? _I'm sorry!_"

The Espada stiffened, and finally he turned to the teenager, his emerald eyes wide as they took in the scowling young man, shocked senseless by Ichigo's sudden outburst.

Ichigo saw his chance and leapt at it, "I lost control of myself, that wasn't me fighting you back there! I would never have done those things to you if I was in my right mind… I just want to let you know I regret what happened…"

Ulquiorra stared at him, his mouth snapping shut, lips pressed firmly together, "You wish for my forgiveness, and yet, it was I who started the attack? Was I not the one to kill you in cold blood?"

Ichigo scoffed, resting his forearms on his knees, "You seriously want to use that as a stick to hit me with? I never even bothered to hold that to you! I don't care what you did to me, so just forget about it! You're starting to give me a damn headache!"

Ulquiorra stared at him, shocked to find himself lost for words. He looked out at the ocean again, expression characteristically blank as he hid what emotions he had away from the world.

Silence reigned over the odd pair, until it was shattered by the familiar sound of Orihime's distressed cry. Ulquiorra's head shot around sharply, and his eyes fell upon the woman as she shot across the grass towards them, almost falling over onto the shocked teenagers as she staggered to a halt, eyes wide, arms pin wheeling wildly as she tried to regain her balance.

"Ulq-Ulquiorra! Ichigo! Come on, your dad says he's going to leave without you!"

Ichigo stared up at her, face painted in confusion, "Huh? What do you-,"

He was cut off sharply as the sound of a blaring car horn pierced the air, and the others looked around just in time to see the large van begin to reverse out the campsite, Ichigo's father grinning madly behind the wheel, fully intending on leaving the three teenagers behind.

"What the hell! Come back here you asshole!" Ichigo screamed, launching to his feet and tearing off after his idiotic father, arms waving wildly. Ulquiorra watched the scene with a mild look of disbelief, not quite sure what to make of all this.

Orihime laughed nervously, grabbing his arm and tugging him along towards the retreating van, "Common Ulquiorra! I think Mr Kurosaki is being serious! We'd better get going!"

The Espada followed her reluctantly, running at a human pace after the van, his eyes widening as he saw the orange haired Vizard make a dive for the van, clinging to the open van door comically. The van finally came to a halt at the gates to the campsite, and Ulquiorra and Orihime heard what could only be described as pure chaos erupt from within the van. This was made even more dramatic as Isshin's face suddenly appeared pressed up against the front windscreen, his face mashed up against the glass hilariously.

Ulquiorra stopped besides the van, the Woman breathing heavily beside him. He allowed his eyes to scan the vehicle before him, and something shockingly obvious dawned upon him. He wondered if the others had noticed, but he decided to leave it hanging, waiting for one of them to finally grasp the full idea of what they were about to attempt.

Naturally, Uryu was the first to notice.

"Aaaah…yeah…this could be a problem…" he muttered, rubbing his one temple with a pale hand. The others turned to stare at him, obviously not getting it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked from the front of the van, looking back over his shoulder as he continued to force his squirming father up against the screen. Uryu raised a slim black eyebrow and motioned around the van, spreading both arms and almost hitting Tatsuki in the face.

Finally, the penny dropped. Ulquiorra resisted the urge to scoff in disgust as Ichigo's face finally lit up in realization.

"…Damn it…" Ichigo muttered, letting go of Isshin and scratching the back of his head with his free hand, eyes sweeping the packed van before him, "This is… bad."

Orihime was beside herself, "I'm so sorry Ulquiorra! I didn't think we wouldn't have a space for you! Geez, I really messed up!"

Ulquiorra glared at her, his blank eyes boring into the panicking teenager, "Relax, Woman. Do not make the situation worse than it already is."

But Orihime carried right on; horrified it had come down to this, wringing her hands as she babbled on, "You could take my spot! Yes, that sounds about right! I'd just sit on someone's lap! Yes, that's an excellent idea! Or perhaps…"

Ulquiorra raised his eyebrows questioningly, "Are you intending to sit on my lap, Woman?"

Orihime gave a shriek of horror, her cheeks turning five shades of red, "O-of course not! What would make you think that? I couldn't! Wait, no, I mean, I wouldn't dare! Argh, I'm not making sense, am I?"

Ulquiorra shook his head, fighting down a smirk. He felt genuinely intrigued by the young woman's reaction to his question, the utter chaos of her emotions peaked his curiosity more than he would like to admit. What could cause her to react in such a way to such a simple question? He couldn't figure it out, and the thousands of suggestions sent his mind whirling.

But just as he managed to grasp one specific concept he was interrupted by Ichigo's relentless outburst, "No way Orihime, you can't sit on someone's' lap! With my dad's driving you'd most likely get yourself hurt! There's no way we'll let you do that!"

Orihime looked to Ichigo's father, staring at the man as he planted his feet on the steering wheel, laughing whole heartedly as he attempted to steer the stationary car with his feet.

Perhaps the blonde had a point…

"But then what are we going to do? Where will Ulquiorra sit?" she pressed, turning to look helplessly at her green eyed companion. The Hollow simply stared right back, not even bothering to look at the Shinigami who ranted and raved before them.

"I see no point to this. You and you're companions can travel back in the vehicle you came in. I'll get to Kisuke's shop myself."

Orihime's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? B-but how do you intend to do that! We're miles away from Urahara's!"

Ulquiorra gave her his characteristic deadpan stare, making her shrink slightly under his scrutiny, "Have you forgotten exactly what I am, Woman?"

The red head shook her head frantically, "No, no! Of course not, Ulquiorra! It's just…"

"Just what, Woman?"

Orihime looked away, gnawing at her full bottom lip, "Never mind…it's nothing…"

_I just can't leave you behind again…_

Ulquiorra moved towards her, hoping to question her further, but Ichigo cut him short, and the Hollow couldn't help but scowl.

"So, you intend to fly there? Why not just make another Garganta?"

It took all of Ulquiorra's boundless willpower to stop himself from shooting the ignorant Shinigami, "That is unnecessary. And besides, that would attract unwanted attention from other Hollows. I have no wish to get involved in a mindless killing spree."

Ichigo made a sound of understanding, scratching the back of his head, "I…guess that makes sense, then."

"Naturally," Ulquiorra responded nonchalantly, making Orihime smile.

"Well then, if that's the case, I guess you should get going. And don't try anything funny!" the Vizard warned, pointing a rigid finger at him.

Ulquiorra just glared at him, before turning away, bending his legs as he prepared to push himself skyward.

But he froze, his forehead creasing slightly in confusion. Then, without warning, his eyes widened in horror, and he staggered back, his once blank face painted with disbelief.

"This…it can't be…" he whispered, staring down at his hands.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime gasped, rushing forward to touch his arm, her creamy fingers grabbing at his tattered uniform.

"What, what is it?" Ichigo demanded, staring at the shocked Espada in startled confusion, "What's the problem?"

Ulquiorra was silent for a moment, making the others in the van lean forward; their eyes alight with curiosity and concern.

"I…can't do it…the spirit density, it's just…" Ulquiorra finally replied, his eyes still wide, his voice numb with shock.

It took a moment for Ichigo to process what he had just heard, but when it finally sank in, he couldn't contain himself any longer.

"What! You mean you can't fly! What the hell is this? You come back here, and all you are is a complete mess! What happened to you!"

Ulquiorra stiffened, and he clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing in momentary rage, "If I knew the answer to that question, I would tell you! But I am just as stunned as you are, so do not provoke me, Kurosaki Ichigo!"

Ichigo scowled in return, and he took a step forward, opening his arms wide, "I'm not trying to provoke you! Have you even considered the fact that I could be worried about you!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened, and his hands dropped to his sides, his expression blank as he hide away his stormy emotions, "Don't patronize me, human…"

The Shinigami slumped on the spot, letting out a sigh of exasperation, "I wasn't trying to."

Orihime stared at her former ward, her eyes shimmering, concern painted across her face. She could see the distress and confusion in his deep green eyes, and she could only imagine the fear and anxiety he was going through. To see him like this, the once proud Espada falling to pieces in her hands, it was just too much to bear.

Letting her hand slide down his arm, she let her fingers laces through his, letting her thumb brush over his in a comforting caress. The touch made the Espada freeze, and he looked down at their entwined hands before looking into her eyes, thousands of emotions flashing in his emerald green orbs.

Shaking himself, Ulquiorra pulled away, pulling his hand out of her warm grasp, "It seems I may have to revert to more drastic measures, then."

"Such as?" Uryu questioned, one slim eyebrow raised as he watched the Espada.

But Ulquiorra did not answer, instead turning sharply on his heel and walking away from them, heading back to the campsite where they had been earlier.

Orihime made a startled sound, and she prepared to run after him, but Rukia grabbed her arm and held her in place, shaking her head in warning.

"W-what's he doing?" Tatsuki asked quietly, eyes wide. Keigo popped up beside her, grinning comically.

"Maybe he left something behind? Or _maybe_ he's gone to pick flowers for _Ooooorihimeeee_!" he sang, dancing about on the spot and making kissy faces. But his antics were repaid for with a hard punch in the face from the scowling fighter.

Ichigo on the other hand, seemed more confused than anybody, "What the…?"

They watched as Ulquiorra stopped in the middle of the large open clearing, the pale teenager looking about him. Deeming the area acceptable, he reached his hand down to his Zanpakutou, Murcielago slipping from its sheath with an eager metallic hiss.

It was at this point that realization hit Ichigo like a speeding train.

"Don't you fucking _dare_!" Ichigo roared, taking off after the Hollow, waving his arms frantically about him.

"I would suggest you remain where you are, Kurosaki," Ulquiorra warned, not even looking at the teen as he pointed Murcielago at the ocean, his green eyes suddenly alight.

Ichigo stopped in his tracks, throwing his fists in the air in frustration, "You're fucking crazy! Come back here you little shit! Don't you dare do that crap again! Why can't you just use your damn Sonido! You can't be serious! "

Orihime and the others watched on in shock and confusion, not quite sure what to make of any of this. But Rukia understood, and her eyes were as wide as twin saucers.

"He…he wouldn't…would he?" she murmured, letting go of Orihime's arm as she took an involuntary step back.

Orihime was about to question her, but she saw Ulquiorra's stance shift, and every last thought left her mind as her eyes widened.

"Enclose, Murcielago," Ulquiorra murmured, awakening his Zanpakutou.

And the entire world exploded in a mass of green and black, swallowing up the powerful Arrancar with a wild roar.

And Orihime couldn't help but scream.

_"Watch the clouds drifting away  
Still the sun can't warm my face  
I know it was destined to go wrong  
You were looking for the great escape  
To chase your demons away_

_Ooh, for so long I've tried to shield you from the world  
Ooh, you couldn't face the freedom on your own  
And here I am left in silence_

_You gave up the fight  
You left me behind  
All that's done's forgiven  
You'll always be mine  
I know deep inside  
All that's done's forgiven_

_I've been so lost since you've gone  
Why not me before you  
Why did fate deceive me  
Everything turned out so wrong  
Why did you leave me in silence_

_You gave up the fight  
You left me behind  
All that's done's forgiven  
You'll always be mine  
I know deep inside  
All that's done's forgiven"_

Within Temptation - Forgiven

* * *

**Once again, I just want to say how absolutely sorry I am for not updating this sooner! T_T I feel absolutely terrible! Time always just seems run away from me, and the next thing I know I'm waist deep in work and trouble (blame it on bad timing). But last year was generally a bad year for me, and this year I want to make things work out! So new beginnings for us all! And as a gift for everybody, I am going to put in some nice cute Ulquihime scenes in abundance! :)**

**Hehehe, and I left a cliffhanger! Oh I am soooo bad! MWAHAHAHA! 8D**

**Anyways, hope you guys liked this long awaited chapter, and I hope I got everybody in character. I know most of you wanted an epic fight, but if I'm honest, I can't see Ichigo doing something like that. After the way he saw Ulquiorra die and knew it was his fault, I don't think he'd attack him. But if he got the chance to verbally attack him, then naturally, Strawberry would leap at the chance.**

**And it may seem out of character for Soul Society to just let him stay, do not think on that too much, that is deliberate. You'll see what happens later in the story! *evil grin***

**Oh, and yes, I know that Ulquiorra going into his release form is a VERY out of character thing to do, not to mention stupid, but you'll see what he does in the next chapter. Ulquiorra isn't really as stupid as Ichigo would like him to be! XD**

**OOOOOOOOOOOOH, AND THE PLOT THICKENS! Not only is our beloved Espada's Iron Skin broken, but his ability to 'float' and 'fly' by taking advantage of spirit particles is gone! What is happening to poor Ulqui! All questions will be answered in the next installment of *dramatic pause and drum roll* WHERE THE HEART IS! *dramatic round of applause***

**Please review folks! But if you don't, I understand. I'd be mad at me too... *sad smile* But I promise to make it up to all of you!**


	7. EVERYONE READ THIS

Hey guys

Been a while hasn't it? And for that I am so, so sorry :C My life is just really hectic, what with this year's school marks going towards my application for college. It's really important that I get good marks. But I've wanted to write again for a while, and I have an announcement to make!

I am now campaigning on King of the web, and I need all your votes.

I'm not doing it for myself, mind you, it's still going to coop crowd in the end (I will forward my votes), but I still need you all to vote! 3

And please, don't see this as bribery, it's not, but if you all vote, you will get special prizes

Here is how it works.

500 votes: I will write a fanfic or oneshot

1000+ votes: I will write a chapter for any fanfic you all choose; there will be a voting poll! You can vote for which fanfic you want updated!

And it will work as such. Every 500 votes or 1000 votes will get a one shot or chapter

Don't think I'm doing this just for votes, I really do want to write again, it's just so hard to keep up with it all :C I'm in my second last year of high school, and these marks are going to my college entry forms at the end of next year. I need to work hard! But I do want to write, I need to! It will also improve my English, I can feel my English marks slipping

I also want to see how many of you still support me, after all this time. I feel like I've let you all down :C So this shall show me if I still have a place in this community, if I should still write and share my stories with you all. There is no point writing if no one will read D:

So there you have it, I'm running in King of the Web, and your votes count my friends! 3

Here is how to vote. Click the vote button, and then it will give you two options. Log in with Facebook, or create an account with King of the web and that will let you vote You can vote up to ten times a day, and spending all your votes for five days will give you ten extra votes! So let's do this!

To find the voting poll and the link to my King of the Web page, look up BosBaBe on google, and go to my DA profile :D It will have a link in my DA journal!

So let's do this guys! FOR THE WIN!

BosBaBe, over and OUT!


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